Lakers Secure Last Semifinal Spot Amid Controversial Timeout Decision

In a thrilling game, LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 106-103 victory over the Phoenix Suns, securing the final semifinal spot in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament. James scored 31 points, with 15 of them coming in the fourth quarter.

Joining James in the scoring effort was Anthony Davis, who contributed 27 points and 15 rebounds, and Austin Reaves, who added 20 points. The Lakers, as the top seed, will now face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals, set to take place in Las Vegas on Thursday. In the East semifinal, the Milwaukee Bucks will square off against the Indiana Pacers. The championship game will be held on Saturday, with the victorious team claiming the NBA Cup.

Reflecting on the victory, James emphasized the competitive nature of the players and their desire to compete for meaningful incentives. He expressed his excitement about playing on a big stage, representing their families, communities, and hometowns on national television.

In the fourth quarter, James showcased his mastery with a phenomenal shooting display. He scored 15 of the Lakers' first 19 points in the final period and assisted on his teammates' other two baskets, propelling Los Angeles to victory.

Despite a strong performance from Kevin Durant, who scored 31 points, the Phoenix Suns fell short as he missed a crucial 3-point attempt at the buzzer. The loss to the Lakers marked their third defeat to Los Angeles this season, despite Phoenix having won eight of their previous ten games.

With just 29 seconds remaining, Devin Booker cut the Lakers' lead to 102-101 with a layup. However, Austin Reaves responded with a clutch 3-pointer for the Lakers, extending their lead to 105-101 with 15 seconds left.

Durant managed to make another layup for the Suns, but controversy arose when the officials granted LeBron James' request for a timeout. This decision frustrated the Suns, as the ball appeared to be loose after Booker had knocked it away from Reaves just moments earlier.

"It's a loose ball, and you can't call a timeout on a loose ball," Phoenix coach Frank Vogel said. "The whistle blows. I don't know why. Everything in the league is reviewable. I don't know why that can't be reviewable. ... We got the trap, we got the turnover, [and the] damn whistle blows. It's just frustrating."

Austin Reaves, the Lakers player involved in the controversial timeout call, believed that Devin Booker fouled him just before the timeout was granted. However, he acknowledged LeBron James' high basketball IQ and praised his ability to make such plays.

Kevin Durant, on the other hand, did not express anger about the call, stating that he initially did not believe the ball was loose when the timeout was called. He emphasized that one play does not determine the outcome of a 48-minute game and expressed the importance of playing through such situations without relying on referees to decide the game.

Anthony Davis was fouled and went to the free-throw line but missed one of two shots, leaving the door open for Durant's potential game-tying 30-footer.

Devin Booker and Grayson Allen both contributed 21 points for the Phoenix Suns in the game.

The Lakers earned the top seed in the Western Conference for the tournament by going undefeated in the group stage, including a victory over the Suns on November 10. The Suns, however, rebounded from that loss and secured a wild-card spot in the knockout stage.

While there is ongoing debate about the merits of the in-season tournament, both Lakers coach Frank Vogel and Suns coach Darvin Ham mentioned that their players are embracing the event and are motivated by the opportunity to earn financial bonuses for their teams' support staff and younger players.

Ham humorously added, "They're well aware of that bag. Money speaks, man."

The Phoenix Suns faced difficulties in the game as Bradley Beal remained sidelined for his 11th consecutive game due to a persistent back injury. Despite this setback, the Suns put up a strong fight, even though both of their healthy superstars struggled with foul trouble. Devin Booker picked up his fifth foul early in the fourth quarter, while Kevin Durant entered the final period with four fouls and committed his fifth with 3:18 remaining in the game.

Phoenix had a challenging start, committing 10 turnovers in the first quarter alone, the highest number by any team in the league this season. Although they trailed by 15 points in the first half, they made a comeback in the second half, scoring 14 consecutive points to take the lead.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel acknowledged that his team didn't do enough early in the game, particularly in terms of turnovers and rebounding. He believed that if they had performed better in these areas, the game wouldn't have been as close as it was.