- James shot 75 percent from the field and made all four attempts from three
- The Lakers will play the Indiana Pacers for the NBA Cup on Saturday
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LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring and steamrolled the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament on Thursday.
James parlayed his 30 points with five rebounds and eight assists as the Lakers secured a 133-89 victory and advanced to Saturday's NBA Cup finals in Las Vegas.
James shot an impressive 75 percent from the field and made all four attempts from behind the arc in just over 22 minutes of play.
Center Anthony Davis trailed James with 16 points and five assists, but led the Lakers with 15 boards.
Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Russell, Taurean Prince and Austin Reaves all contributed double-digit points with 12, 14, 15 and 17 points respectively.
LeBron James scored 30 points in the Lakers' semifinal against the New Orleans Pelicans
James and Anthony Davis combined to score 46 points as the Lakers blew out the Pelicans, 133-89
The Lakers will meet the Indiana Pacers for the NBA Cup on Saturday night. Indiana upset the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 behind Tyrese Haliburton's 27-point effort to advance.
When asked about Saturday's championship game, James seemed focused on the main goal: winning the NBA title in June.
“Listen, it's still December, so I'm not going too crazy about it.” said James. “This was great, the seasonal tournament, but it's still December.
“It's another game where we have to improve and we want to try to win that game.”
Before Thursday, the Pacers pulled off another upset against the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals.
Meanwhile, the Lakers advanced to the semifinals on Tuesday after a controversial win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Lakers meet the Indiana Pacers, who upset Milwaukee, on Saturday for the NBA Cup
Late in the game, James was called a timeout despite having signaled for it during a loose ball. The call prompted fans to condemn the referees and the NBA on social media as it allowed the Lakers to earn the 106-103 win.
In his 21st NBA season, James continues to prove Father Time wrong with spectacular performances. James is averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game as the Lakers look to compete for another title.
The Lakers fell to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals earlier this year after eliminating the Golden State Warriors in the second round.
The Lakers are currently 13-9 this season as the fifth-seeded team in the Western Conference.