The Los Angeles Lakers Win First Ever In-Season Tournament!

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        The Indiana Pacers suffer the same faith as they did in 2000 against the Los Angeles Lakers. In 2000, Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers were defeated in the Finals against the Kobe and Shaq Los Angeles Lakers. Now, Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers were defeated in the In-Season Tournament against the LeBron and Anthony Davis Los Angeles Lakers (Lakers 123, Pacers 109). The Lakers' players and coaching staff earned the $500,000 bonus prize. The first ever In-Season Tournament was a huge success and it's looking like it'll stick around for a while. 



        The In-Season Tournament provided a playoff atmosphere and that's something most of the players on the Pacers' roster don't have much experience with. The only players with actual playoff experience are Bruce Brown Jr, T.J. McConnell, Myles Turner and Obi Toppin. The Pacers are a young team and while they were able to overcome the lack of experience against the Celtics and the Bucks, they couldn't overcome that against LeBron, A.D. and the Lakers. The Pacers' offense could not find any rhythm against the Laker defense. 



        The Lakers were in control for majority of the game and whenever the Pacers went on a run, the Lakers found a way to respond and maintain control. They also had an outstanding performance from Anthony Davis who scored 41 points shooting 16 of 24 from the field (67%), 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. Davis may not be the most consistent player but he showed up big tonight. LeBron James had a strong game himself scoring 24 points shooting 10 of 21 from the field (48%), 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. The Lakers earned the first ever In-Season Tournament gold medal, the $500,000 bonus prize and LeBron James was named the first ever NBA In-Season Tournament MVP. 





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