LeBron James clinched the NBA's first In-Season Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP) award following the Los Angeles Lakers' 123-109 win over the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night.
During a 35-minute performance, James contributed 24 points, 11 rebounds and four assists. He also landed 10 of his 21 field goal attempts. He helped the Lakers to a 90-82 lead entering the fourth quarter. His overall plus/minus rating of +19 for the night elevated his tournament total to +118.
James' performance in the quarterfinals and semifinals also drew admiration from rival players and coaches. He amassed 61 points, 13 rebounds and 19 assists against the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans.
In addition to James's stellar performance, Austin Reaves contributed 28 points, while D'Angelo Russell added 13 points for the Lakers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis achieved season highs of 41 points and 20 rebounds.
"I don't think it's even about the MVP; it's about us coming together to win this thing. This is the inaugural in-season tournament," James said in a post-game interview with ESPN.
The victory marked the Lakers' 12th win in their last 16 games, positioning them favorably as they look ahead to the NBA playoffs in April 2024. With a 14-9 record, the team secured the fifth spot in the Western Conference standings.
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First In-Season Tournament champions
The NBA In-Season Tournament was newly introduced during the league's 2023–24 season. The competition aims to generate increased viewership and interest in the early phase of the regular season, months before the playoffs.
As the first-ever winner of this tournament, James expressed his pride for his team.
"Records will be broken, but one thing that will never be broken is to be the first to do something," he said.
"And we're the first champions of the in-season tournament, and nobody can ever top that, and it's great to do it with a historical franchise and just a great cast of funny, engaged, competitive men over here."
Throughout the game, the Lakers' offense shot 53.4 percent from the field, complemented by a strong defense that held the Pacers to a mere 36.8 percent shooting.
However, despite Los Angeles leading by as many as 11 late in the third, the Pacers kept fighting back. They cut the lead to as little as three multiple times in the fourth quarter. Young star Tyrese Haliburton pushed on with 20 points and 11 assists.
Nevertheless, the Lakers slowly pulled away to win, led by strong defensive play and Davis' late-game performance that resulted in 14 points in the final period.
Reflecting on the defeat, Haliburton acknowledged the intense "playoff-like" atmosphere. He expressed frustration and conceded that the Pacers were outplayed from start to finish.
"Yeah, we're sick, frustrated. We just got outplayed tonight from the start of the game to the end of the game. Just didn't do the job on loose balls, didn't rebound, didn't get enough stops when needed," he said.