NBA In-Season Tournament Championship: Schedule, Preview and More
The Championship is set for the NBA's first-ever In-Season Tournament. Here's a preview of and how to stream with Sling.
The Championship game for the NBA's first-ever In-Season Tournament will be a battle between one of the league’s winningest teams and one still waiting on their first NBA title.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers will take on Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Game, scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9 at 8:30pm ET. For the Lakers, a win would be little more than a novelty for a team with 17 Championship banners in the rafters (the Lakers have said they do not have plans to hang a banner if they win the NBA Cup on Saturday). For the Pacers, who have never won an NBA title and have only been to the Finals once, a victory would be much more meaningful.
So the In-Season Tournament Championship is a classic David vs. Goliath matchup. Here’s a look at both teams and how they got here. To watch the Championship game live on ABC/ ESPN3 with Sling TV, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange.
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https://www.youtube.com/embed/waeTcEhiA10?si=4BGrMwc1AJwa6fhH
Los Angeles Lakers
Group Stage: 4-0; +74 point differential; #1 seed in West Group A (Phoenix, Memphis, Portland, Utah)
Knockout Rounds: 106-103 vs. #4 Phoenix; 133-89 vs. #3 New Orleans
LeBron James is nearing the end of his legendary career (presumably), and it’s clear he sees winning the first-ever NBA Cup as a nice capstone on his way to the Hall of Fame. LA’s +74 point differential in the Group Stage was by far the best among all teams (the Bucks were next at +46) and the team's extra effort has been apparent in all games. The Lakers' close win over the Suns in quarterfinal was somewhat controversial, but the Lakers left no doubt about who was the better team in Thursday’s semifinal, as they thrashed the Pelicans by 44-points, the third-worst regular season loss in New Orleans’ history. The Lakers have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and with the almost-39-year-old LeBron continuing to play at an unbelievable level, one more win in the NBA In-Season Tournament could help propel them for another deep playoff run.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/K1XEZ6eyKvw?si=EZwvEaKQVz1-Tt-u
Indiana Pacers
Group Stage: 4-0; +39 point differential; #1 seed in East Group A (Cleveland, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Detroit)
Knockout Rounds: 122-112 vs. #3 Boston; 128-119 vs. #1 Milwaukee
Unlike the Lakers, the Indiana Pacers have used the In-Season Tournament as a springboard for legitimacy. In recent years, they’ve been overshadowed by the team they beat in the semifinal, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the team’s 2022 trade with the Sacramento Kings appears to be one of the more impactful trades in recent years for both squads. In acquiring Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers found the ideal anchor for their explosive offense. As of this writing, the Pacers lead the NBA in points per game (128.4), assists per game (30.2), and field goal percentage (50.8). Those numbers help disguise a defense that’s near the bottom of the league in several metrics, but most fans would prefer to watch a shootout than the ugly defensive battles that defined the Eastern Conference for so many years. Indiana is one of the NBA’s most electric teams, and their appearance in the In-Season Tournament Championship could portend a changing of the guard in the Central Division.
To watch the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Game live from Las Vegas on Dec. 9 at 8:30pm ET, use the link below to subscribe to Sling Orange with ESPN/ ESPN3!
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