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LeBron James and the LA Lakers moved on to the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Finals following a big win over the New Orleans Pelicans. James had another great performance with 30 points on 75.0% shooting. He also reflected on the Lakers' form heading into the Indiana Pacers showdown.
The Lakers played well in the first quarter, but the Pelicans had the lead entering the second. "The King" took over before half-time to give the Lakers a double-digit advantage at the break. They didn't take their foot off the pedal in the second half to get an easy 133-89 victory.
James downplayed the win after the game, as it's only December. He was also asked about what he has learned from the Lakers' run in the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, to which he had a hilarious response:
"The funky courts don't bother us," James said.
Some NBA fans are not fans of the In-Season Tournament courts because of their colors and design. A few are decent, but most of the courts have been hilariously trolled on social media.
On a more serious note, LeBron James acknowledged that they have been successful in tournament-like competitions since 2020. They won the NBA championship inside the bubble and are 2-0 in the NBA play-in tournament:
"We've been successful with the first two," James said. "Where our rank, it's the bubble, obviously, we won a championship. We also had an opportunity to play in play-in games. ... We won both to give us a nod into the postseason, you know?
"This has been good so far as well to us too, so we got to finish our breakfast on Saturday. That's the most important thing."
LeBron James continues to defy Father Time
LeBron James has been the most important player for the LA Lakers this season even though he's in Year 21. James averages 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.5 steals, as the oldest player in the league.
"The King" has been very efficient, shooting 55.3% from the field and 40.7% from beyond the arc. He has also been durable this season, missing only one game. He has been injury-prone since joining the Lakers but has stayed away from injuries in the first 22 games of the season.
Another amazing fact about the four-time NBA champion is that he will turn 39 old this month but refuses to be slowed down by Father Time, which is tough to do in any sport.
