LeBron James scores 30 POINTS in 133-89 blowout over the Pelicans to help Lakers advance to NBA In-Season Tournament finals… will face Pacers for the NBA Cup

LeBron James led the Los Angeles Lakers in scoring as they swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the semifinals of the NBA midseason tournament on Thursday.

James used his 30 points with five rebounds and eight assists as the Lakers won 133-89 and advanced to Saturday’s NBA Cup final in Las Vegas.

James shot 75 percent from the field and made all four of his attempts from beyond the arc in just 22-plus minutes of play.

Center Anthony Davis trailed James with 16 points and five assists but led the Lakers with 15 rebounds.

Rui Hachimura, D’Angelo Russell, Torin Prince and Austin Reeves scored in double figures with 12, 14, 15 and 17 points, respectively.

LeBron James scored 30 points in the Lakers’ semifinal victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

James and Anthony Davis combined for 46 points as the Lakers routed the Pelicans 133-89.

The Lakers will take on the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Cup on Saturday night. Indiana defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 128-119 after Tyrese Haliburton scored 27 points to lead the way.

When asked about Saturday’s championship game, James seemed focused on the main goal of winning the NBA title in June.

“Look, it’s still December, so I’m not too crazy about it.” James said. “This seasonal tournament has been great, but it’s still December.

“This is another game where we have to get better and we want to try to win this game.”

Before Thursday, the Pacers were defeated again by the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals.

Meanwhile, the Lakers advanced to the semifinals after a controversial win over the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

On Saturday, the Lakers will face the Indiana Pacers, who defeated Milwaukee, for the NBA Cup.

Late in the game, James was given a timeout despite calling for it on a loose ball. The call led fans to criticize the referees and the NBA on social media as it allowed the Lakers to claim a 106-103 victory.

In his 21st NBA season, James continues to prove Father Time wrong with impressive performances. James is averaging 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game as the Lakers look to compete for another title.

Earlier this year, the Lakers lost to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the second round.

The Lakers are 13-9 this season and are the fifth seeded team in the Western Conference.