Lakers Beat Indiana, Win Inaugural In-Season Tournament Behind 41/20/5 +4 Blocks from Anthony Davis

The Lakers came into Saturday's final of the In-Season Tournament not only having shown they 100% care, but 100% find the value in the process of trying to win.

And that, more than anything, is what stuck out in LA's 123-109 win over the Indiana Pacers. There was the level of intensity, not surprising given how much effort has already gone into this thing, and also the clear desire on Indiana's part to show out. But they also played a playoff rotation in this game. Not just a playoff rotation, but a Game 7 rotation. Tight. Long minutes for stars. Not that many for guys closer to the fringe.

And man alive, did the Lakers get playoff level performances from its stars, particularly Anthony Davis (41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists, four blocks). He was dominant on both sides of the ball - "pitched a shutout" was how ESPN's Doc Rivers described his work defensively. LeBron James scored bucket after bucket in the paint, finishing with 24/11/4, plus two early steals against Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton. Austin Reaves went for 28. D'Angelo Russell, 13.

The Lakers barely hit any 3-pointers in this game, yet controlled throughout, in part because they didn't try to force 3's to be a part of the attack. They just didn't take any. And they absolutely owned the paint, whether in the half court, and especially in transition, where a very intense defensive attack that kept Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton in jail for most of the night allowed them to get out and run.

We've been looking for signs of what this team's ceiling looks like. It showed Thursday in the semi-finals, when the Lakers absolutely destroyed the Pelicans. And it showed on Saturday when they won the first of what they hope will be two titles this season.

Don't know what it means yet to have an NBA Cup... but the Lakers are the only team that gets to find out.

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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