When the NBA announced the first-ever in-season tournament this past summer, some were skeptical whether it would work. They questioned whether players and coaches would be motivated to win what they saw as a possibly meaningless trophy early in the season.
So far, it seems the in-season tournament has been a success. In particular, the Los Angeles Lakers seem to have played with more gusto in their in-season tourney games than in other contests.
They improved to 3-0 in such games after defeating the Portland Trail Blazers 107-95 on Friday. Afterward, LeBron James hinted at the team’s added motivation in these games when he said it knows what’s at stake.
LeBron James on the Lakers’ 3-0 start in group play in the in-season tournament: “We know what’s at stake” pic.twitter.com/VtArGwK22v
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 18, 2023
James scored 35 points and dished nine assists against Portland on Friday. A week earlier in L.A.’s first in-season tourney game, he had 32 points, 11 rebounds and six assists as the team came back from a sizeable deficit to defeat the Phoenix Suns.