NBA Cup:
Indiana knocks out Milwaukee, first team to qualify for the finals
Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers defeated Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks (128-119) on Thursday in Las Vegas to advance to the finals of the first edition of the NBA Cup. Crucial in the late game, point guard Tyrese Haliburton (27 points, 7 rebounds, 15 assists) once again led his young Pacers to victory, well-supported by center Myles Turner (26 points, 10 rebounds). On the opposing side, the 2021 champion Giannis Antetokounmpo fought hard (37 points, 10 rebounds) in vain during a closely contested match that the Bucks let slip away in the final quarter after taking control in the third period. Indiana will play in the final on Saturday, still in Las Vegas, either against LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers or against the New Orleans Pelicans, who face off on Thursday evening.
LeBron James, on a mission, crushes the Pelicans and advances to the final
Imperial at almost 39 years old (on December 30), the “King” LeBron James led his Los Angeles Lakers to crush the New Orleans Pelicans (133-89) on Thursday in Las Vegas to challenge Indiana in the final of the new NBA Cup. On a red and blue-designed court, James awakened the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, which remained quiet in the early afternoon for the Indiana-Milwaukee game. Although not fully packed, the arena was still filled with Lakers supporters, an ultra-popular franchise across the country, especially just a four-hour drive from the City of Angels. Los Angeles soared in the 3rd quarter (43-17), with a phenomenal LeBron, scoring 30 points and 8 assists, shooting 9 for 12 (4 for 4 from three-point range, 8 for 8 from free throws). All of this in just 22 minutes, allowing him to exit definitively in the middle of the 3rd period. The “King” displayed superiority in all aspects of the game against the struggling Pelicans, and continues to impress with his strength, seriousness, and desire in his 21st season. “I wanted to share in this game, make the right choices for my teammates,” he said. The four-time NBA champion, the league’s all-time leading scorer, had declared from the start that he would like to accumulate another trophy with this NBA Cup, created earlier this year to invigorate a somewhat dull regular season. “I’ll settle for one word: extraordinary,” said his coach Darvin Ham. “He sets the tone, from the beginning of the day, in meetings, when we go to the stadium, to implement the game plan, with his energy, his physical sacrifice on his charges.”
“Transformation”:
After a first phase in November, quarterfinals on Monday and Tuesday, the final-4 of the tournament takes place from Thursday to Saturday, the day of the final, in Las Vegas. An important symbol for LeBron James, who hopes to become a shareholder in a future NBA franchise in the gambling city, which hosts major sporting events (Formula 1 Grand Prix, Super Bowl 2024). On Saturday, he will face the refreshing Indiana Pacers, led by the current sensation Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers dominated Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Milwaukee Bucks (128-119) a little earlier on Thursday, with 27 points and 15 assists for Haliburton, all without losing a single ball, a rarity for a point guard with such responsibilities. He was well-supported by center Myles Turner (26 points, 10 rebounds). With 48 seconds left in the game, Haliburton quickly pulled the trigger, his style, a three-point shot that finished off the Milwaukee Bucks, despite Antetokounmpo’s 37 points. “I think we’re surprising a lot of people; no one expected us to be at this level, except ourselves in the intimacy of the locker room,” commented the point guard. “My teammates put me in great positions and allow me to make the right choices. Sometimes I make some slightly off passes, the guys make up for that and make me look much better than I am,” he humbly added. “Tyrese (Haliburton) is a player who transforms a team; with him on the court, anything is possible,” praised his coach Rick Carlisle. All NBA Cup games, except the final, also count for the regular season.
With AFP
