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LeBron James has won a grounds 41 play-off bid successful his careerAn inspired LeBron James sent the Los Angeles Lakers into the Western Conference finals and eliminated 2022 NBA winners the Golden State Warriors.
The 38-year-old scored 30 points arsenic the Lakers won 122-101 successful Los Angeles to clinch the best-of-seven bid 4-2.
The Lakers, who finished seventh successful the regular season, volition play apical seeds the Denver Nuggets successful the Western Conference finals, starting connected Tuesday.
The Miami Heat bushed the New York Knicks to scope the Eastern Conference finals.
Jimmy Buttler scored 24 points and 8 rebounds arsenic the Heat won 96-92 successful Florida to instrumentality the bid 4-2 and go the archetypal eighth effect successful 24 years to scope the Conference finals.
They volition play the Boston Celtics oregon the Philadelphia 76ers, who are tied astatine 3-3 and play their decisive seventh crippled connected Sunday.
Lakers widen play that started slowly
The Lakers made their worst commencement to a regular play for 65 years but stay successful contention for a 20th Conference rubric and 18th title triumph aft closing retired a large triumph implicit a Golden State Warriors broadside that has won 4 of the past 8 NBA titles.
They were undone by James' masterful show successful California, with the NBA's starring all-time points scorer and four-time NBA champion making 9 assists and 9 rebounds to spell with his 30 points.
Anthony Davis, playing contempt a caput wounded from crippled five, chalked up 17 points and 20 rebounds, arsenic the Lakers romped to victory.
After the crippled James embraced Warriors prima Stephen Curry, who scored 32 points successful defeat.
"Not galore of our squad person been successful close-out games," James said.
"So aft crippled 5 up [a 121-106 decision connected Wednesday], I knew I had to travel successful with a batch of aggression but beryllium businesslike and strategical successful however I played this game."
James and Curry are 2 of the biggest stars successful the NBA
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