Rui Hachimura scored 12 points and grabbed a rebound in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 133-89 rout of the New Orleans Pelicans in the NBA In-season Tournament semifinals on Thursday.
The Japanese forward played 21 minutes off the bench in his second game back from nasal surgery. LeBron James led the Lakers with a game-high 30 points and Anthony Davis tallied 16 points with 15 rebounds at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
James, who will celebrate his 39th birthday on Dec. 30, was ruthlessly efficient, connecting on nine of his 12 attempts from the floor including all four from 3-point range.
He piled up his 30 points, with five rebounds and eight assists, in less than 23 minutes on the floor.
“Extraordinary” and “otherworldly” were two words Lakers coach Darvin Ham used to describe James, who also absorbed three charging fouls.
“He is the ultimate tone-setter,” Ham said. “His energy, him sacrificing his body — three charges. He set the tone for us on both ends of the basketball court for us tonight.”
In Saturday’s final of the inaugural event, the Lakers will take on the Indiana Pacers, who defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 in the other semifinal.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 27 points to propel the Pacers in a game that featured 16 lead changes — seven of them in the fourth quarter.
Haliburton added 15 assists, without a turnover, and Myles Turner scored 26 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
“I think we’re shocking the world right now,” Haliburton said. “Nobody expected us to be here except for the guys in the locker room.”