The Lakers punched their ticket to the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship in convincing fashion.
Los Angeles cruised to a 133-89 win over New Orleans in the Semifinals. LeBron James led the way for the Lakers, finishing with 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting to go along with eight assists and five rebounds in just 23 minutes of action.
It was an all-around dominant performance for the Lakers, who also saw Anthony Davis finish with 16 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 31 minutes. Austin Reaves added 17 points while Taurean Prince sank five triples to finish with 15 points.
As for the Pelicans starting unit, Zion Williamson scored 13 points while Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas each scored nine points.
On Saturday, the Lakers will face the Pacers with the NBA Cup and $500,000 per player on the line. The Sporting News tracked updates and highlights from throughout LA's dominant win.
MORE: Explaining all you need to know about how the In-Season Tournament works
Lakers vs. Pelicans final score
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| Lakers | 29 | 38 | 43 | 23 | 133 |
| Pelicans | 30 | 24 | 17 | 18 | 89 |
Lakers vs. Pelicans results, highlights from 2023 In-Season Tournament semifinal
All times Eastern.
Final: Lakers 133, Pelicans 89
11:30 p.m.: TV timeout in Las Vegas and the Lakers' lead has ballooned to 44 points.
Both teams have gone to the end of the bench, with a number of rookies getting their first taste of In-Season Tournament action on the main stage.
2:45 remains in regulation.
Lakers 131, Pelicans 87
11:20 p.m.: Four minutes into the fourth quarter, the Lakers are still holding onto a dominant lead.
There's a timeout on the floor and LA is up 119-81.
End of third quarter: Lakers 110, Pelicans 71
11:10 p.m.: We're one quarter away from a Lakers-Pacers final in the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Championship.
LA outscores New Orleans 43-17 in the third quarter, leading by as many as 41 points before taking a 39-point lead into the fourth quarter. Barring an unforeseen comeback, this one is all but over.
The Lakers starters are likely done here, meaning LeBron James' night ends with him scoring 30 points in 23 minutes, while Anthony Davis stuffed the stat sheet with 16 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks in 31 minutes.
10:57 p.m.: Things have officially gotten out of hand in Las Vegas as the Lakers have built a 30-point lead over the Pelicans.
LeBron James has 30 points (on tidy 9-of-12 shooting), eight assists and five rebounds while Anthony Davis has 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks and New Orleans just hasn't had an answer.
There's a timeout on the floor with 5:44 remaining in the third quarter.
Lakers 90, Pelicans 60
10:46 p.m.: LeBron James is clearly on a mission.
James is now a perfect 4 of 4 from beyond the arc as his latest triple brings his total to 28 points on the night. The Lakers are up 19 points with 8:04 remaining in the third quarter and Pelicans head coach Willie Green has signaled for another timeout.
Lakers 79, Pelicans 60
10:44 p.m.: The game's beginning to get away from New Orleans.
LeBron James sinks a pair of free throws to bring his total to the game up to 25 points and give the Lakers a 20-point lead early int he second half. This Pelicans team is capable of mounting a comeback, but time is at a premium.
Lakers 76, Pelicans 56
Halftime: Lakers 67, Pelicans 54
10:22 p.m.: LeBron James put his stamp on the second quarter and the Lakers take a 13-point lead into the locker room.
In the second quarter alone, James scored 18 points, bringing his total for the game up to 21 points to go along with four assists and two rebounds. Anthony Davis has done a bit of everything for LA, registering six points, 10 rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks.
Taurean Prince has been big for the Lakers, scoring 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from distance.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram, Jonas Valanciunas and Zion Williamson have each scored nine points apiece. Herb Jones has added eight points and six rebounds in the half as well.
10 p.m.: The Lakers are beginning to create some distance.
Thanks in large part to LeBron James' spurt, LA has outscored New Orleans 15-5 through the first four minutes of the second quarter. Timeout on the floor with 7:59 remaining in the half.
Lakers 44, Pelicans 35
9:55 p.m.: After scoring just two points in the opening frame, LeBron James is in double figures after draining back-to-back-to-back 3s, as part of him scoring 11 straight points for LA.
LeBron James is ON FIRE, knocking down 3-straight triples in the 2Q 🔥
— NBA (@NBA) December 8, 2023
14 PTS, 5/6 FGM, 3/3 3PM midway through 2 👀
🏀 Pelicans/Lakers on TNT
🏆 Winner faces Pacers in Championship in Las Vegas on Saturday pic.twitter.com/PSGSEhF15b
James is up to 14 points in the game on perfect 5-of-5 shooting from the field, including his three triples.
Lakers 40, Pelicans 33
End of first quarter: Pelicans 30, Lakers 29
9:51 p.m.: One quarter's in the books and it has been a heavyweight battle thus far.
After going back and forth for 12 minutes, New Orleans takes a one-point lead into the second frame. It's been a balanced attack from both sides, with Austin Reaves and D'Angelo Russell each scoring six points to pace the Lakers while Zion Williamson leads the Pelicans with six points.
Early returns suggest this game has the makings of one that'll go down to the wire.
9:41 p.m.: The Pelicans are making a living on the offensive glass and, as a result, things are tied up with 4:17 left in the first.
New Orleans has pulled down four offensive boards resulting in seven second-chance points. Zion Williamson leads the way with six points on perfect 3-of-3 shooting.
Lakers 17, Pelicans 17
9:33 p.m.: It's been a hot start for the Lakers, who lead by four points as we've reached our first break of the game.
Led by six points (on 3-of-3 shooting from D'Angelo Russell, LA is shooting 6 of 8 (75.0 percent) from the field, including 2 of 2 from deep. New Orleans, which has seen each starter score one bucket, is shooting 4 of 9 from the field.
Timeout on the floor less than five minutes in.
Lakers 15, Pelicans 11
9:26 p.m.: The game is finally underway in Las Vegas as the strong Laker contingent at T-Mobile Arena loves the fact that LA gets on the board first courtesy of a LeBron James and-one.
The West Semifinals are on.
Pregame
9 p.m.: After a thriller in the Eastern Conference Semifinal, expect things to tip off closer to 9:25 p.m. ET as the Lakers-Pelicans game is the second game of a doubleheader in the same arena.
It's a bit delayed but we're still within 30 minutes of tip off.
8:45 p.m.: Starting for the Lakers: D'Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Pelicans will go with a starting unit of CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson and Jonas Valanciunas.
MORE: Why NBA stars are motivated by In-Season Tournament prize money
Lakers vs. Pelicans start time
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 7
- Time: 9 p.m. ET | 6 p.m. PT
Lakers vs. Pelicans will tip off around 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 7. The game will be played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
What channel is Lakers vs. Pelicans on?
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 7
- TV channel: TNT | TruTV
- Live streaming: Sling TV
Lakers vs. Pelicans will air on TNT and TruTV. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.
Fans in the U.S. can watch the biggest games of the 2023-24 NBA season on Sling TV, which is now offering HALF OFF your first month! Sling base packages (Sling Orange or Sling Blue) start at just $20 for your first month, or you can get Sling Orange + Blue starting at $27.50 for your first month.
There are no long-term contracts, and you can change your channel lineup anytime. DVR is included along with thousands of on-demand shows and movies.
NBA In-Season Tournament schedule, bracket
Monday, Dec. 4
| Results |
| Pacers 122, Celtics 112 |
| Pelicans 127, Kings 117 |
Tuesday, Dec. 5
| Results |
| Bucks 146, Knicks 122 |
| Lakers 106, Suns 103 |
Thursday, Dec. 7
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Pacers vs. Bucks | 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pelicans vs. Lakers | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Saturday, Dec. 9
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
