Lakers and Bucks Advance in NBA Cup with Exciting Victories

The match: The Lakers take out the Suns at the end of the suspense

LeBron James has the opportunity to win a trophy that neither Michael Jordan nor any great player before him has ever won. He can become the first superstar to lead his team to the top of the NBA Cup, the new tournament organized during the season by the league. This first edition is starting to gain popularity among the players, who seem motivated, like James who was decisive in the Lakers’ last-minute victory against the Suns (106-103) on Tuesday evening.

The King pulled out all the stops to qualify his team for the semi-finals. Especially in money time. Sharp and powerful with the ball in hand, he constantly attacked the opposing defense in the fourth quarter. He was involved in all the baskets scored by Los Angeles in the last 12 minutes, with the exception of Austin Reaves’ crucial and cheeky three-point shot 15 seconds from the buzzer (105-101).

Before this killer basket, Reaves notably had a big passage in the third quarter. He finished with 20 points coming off the bench. James scored 30, including 15 in the fourth quarter, in addition to his 11 assists. The Suns were led by Kevin Durant’s 31 points and they were generally very skillful (49% on shots, 48% on three-pointers) except that they were undermined by turnovers (20). KD had one last attempt to equalize at the siren but his long shot did not hit the circle.

The Lakers therefore validate their ticket for the Final Four in Las Vegas and they will challenge the Pelicans.

The player: Giannis and the Bucks crush the Knicks despite Randle

The machine is starting to get going, at least offensively, for this Milwaukee team, revamped following the arrival of Damian Lillard during the offseason. The Bucks perhaps had their benchmark game on offense against the Knicks last night. They won 146 to 122, showing impressive efficiency: 60% on shots, 60% behind the arc and 32 assists distributed.

Giannis Antetokounmpo perfectly illustrates the performance of his team. He scored 35 points (15 of 22) in addition to his 8 rebounds and 10 assists. In his wake and that of Lillard (28 points), the Bucks scored 75 points in the first period. Their most prolific 24 minutes of the season. But the Knicks were only three points behind and it was after the locker room that Milwaukee really widened the gap to reach a lead of up to 24 points in the fourth quarter.

Julius Randle delivered his best performance of the season by scoring 41 points for the New Yorkers. Not enough to send his team to the Final Four in Las Vegas. The Bucks therefore qualify for the semi-finals of the NBA Cup, a competition in which they are still undefeated (5-0). They will challenge the Pacers for a place in the final.

All scores

Bucks – Knicks : 146-122
Lakers – Suns : 106-103

2023-12-07 00:44:16
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