The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89, led by LeBron James, who scored 30 points in only 23 minutes, to set up the first-ever NBA in-season tournament final.

Although LeBron James’ reputation is already etched in history, he still aspires to become the first-ever NBA in-season tournament winner before hanging up his sneakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89, led by James’ 30 points in only 23 minutes, to move on to the first-ever in-season tournament championship.

“The whole environment was amazing,” said Lakers’ center Anthony Davis. “It’s the first time any of us have been in the in-season tournament, let alone the finals. The excitement around it, the atmosphere, the energy, the competitiveness it brings out in teams. I think it’s going to be fun.”

During the event, the Lakers moved to a perfect 6-0 record and defeated the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson in the first-ever December showcase.

“The in-season tournament has been good to us,” said James. “But we got to finish our breakfast on Saturday. That’s the first thing.”

No one could have predicted a tournament like this in the middle of the NBA season twenty years ago. LeBron has been in the league for that amount of time.

LeBron was in the same 2003 NBA Draft class as current Pelicans head coach Willie Green, which explains why his NBA career has lasted so long. The Cleveland Cavaliers selected James with the first overall pick in the draft, while the Seattle Supersonics—a team that no longer exists—selected Green 40 picks later.

Twenty years later, James and Green were creating history in the NBA’s first-ever in-season competition. The Lakers will now have the opportunity to win an NBA in-season tournament for the first time, and they will also be $50,000 wealthier.

“I just know we came into this year wanting to build continuity and cohesiveness as quickly as possible,” said Lakers’ head coach Darvin Ham when asked if he had a conversation with his team about winning this tournament. “Everyone knew once they started announcing the prize money and that trophy, it fell right in the line with what we are trying to do. We’re just trying to build a rhythm and be the best team we can be.”

But Tyrese Haliburton and the young Indiana Pacers continue to obstruct their path.

The 23-year-old Haliburton and Indiana’s quickest and most effective offense will face the Lakers, one of the league’s oldest teams and home to LeBron James, the oldest player in the NBA.

“We’re definitely going to have our hands full,” said Ham of Haliburton and the Pacers. “We can’t take them for granted by any stretch.”

The boisterous quarterfinal setting at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Tuesday was a far cry from the mood at T-Mobile Arena.

There was a shift in both landscape and mindset as the semifinals moved to the neutral location. There were more Lakers supporters present for the second game than any other fan group, in contrast to the first semifinal between the Pacers and Bucks, which felt more like a glorified summer league game.

The fight night stage lighting and the blue-and-red painted court inside T-Mobile Arena on Thursday night, however, would make you think otherwise. Even with a few NBA Hall of Famers and celebrities like Shaquille O’Neal and Dr. Julius Erving present courtside, the atmosphere lacked the thrill of a typical Lakers home game.

“One thing I learned is the funky courts don’t bother us,” said James of the environment on Thursday night. “My trainer mentioned to me today that I’ve never played in a Final Four in my career. I’ve been a part of single-elimination tournaments before, but never in the NBA with NBA players on the court. This is experience is definitely heightened.”

The NBA observed a minute of silence before to the game in honor of the victims of Wednesday’s deadly shooting, which happened just down the street. On the UNLV campus, a lone gunman opened fire, killing three faculty members before authorities could stop him.

From the moment the game began, it was all Lakers. The purple and gold used runs of 7-0, 14-0, and 8-0 to extend their advantage to 30 points midway through the third quarter, extending their lead from 13 points at the half.

The Lakers rested their starters and used their bench to sweep the floor in the fourth quarter, when they led by as many as 42 points. James did not participate in the game’s last seventeen minutes.

Davis finished the third quarter with 16 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks. Austin Reaves scored 17 points in just 17 minutes of play.

For the Pelicans, Trey Murphy III scored a team-high 14 points, while Ingram, Williamson, and C.J. McCollum combined for just 31 points.

LeBron James stated on Tuesday, following his team’s thrilling quarterfinal victory against the Suns, that he is aware Father Time is unbeaten, but he’s “trying to hand him his first loss.” James, who is in his 21st NBA season, demonstrated on Thursday night that he is still capable of playing at an MVP level. On Saturday, he will want to deliver the Pacers their first tournament defeat.

“Without question,” said Ham when asked if LeBron James is the MVP so far this season. “With the way he’s playing, and the level he’s playing at? That’s a no-brainer.”