And then there were four, as the Pacers, Bucks, Pelicans, and Lakers are the only teams left in the inaugural NBA in-season tournament, where the winners will not only win their first silverware this season, but they’ll get paid handsomely too.
All of them got this far by topping their respective groups. And in the quarter-finals, the Pacers dispatched the Celtics and the Bucks eliminated the Knicks in the Eastern Conference, while the Lakers did the same against the Suns and the Pelicans won over the Kings in the Western Conference.
It’s safe to say that the in-season tournament is a rousing success because it added more thrill to the regular season, which has been taken for granted. So, now that we have reached the climax of this competition, continue reading below as SBOTOP previews tomorrow’s semi-final games.
Indiana Pacers @ Milwaukee Bucks
On Monday, Tyrese Haliburton recorded his first career triple-double, which couldn’t have come at a better time. In 40 minutes of action, he recorded 26 points on 10-for-18 shooting, 10 rebounds, 13 assists, one steal, and five three-pointers.
Haliburton scored 16 of his 26 points in the second half, but more importantly, he provided Indiana with the late-game heroics.
When the Celtics leveled the game at 105 points each with 1:33 remaining, the 23-year-old point guard completed a four-point play, which gave them the lead for good en route to a 122-112 win.
Besides Haliburton, six more Pacers scored in double digits. Buddy Hield notched 21 points, while Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin, Aaron Nesmith, Bruce Brown, and Obi Toppin had 17, 16, 14, 13, and 12, respectively.
The Pacers also shot 48-per cent from three-point range, and they only coughed up the ball six times. In comparison, the Celtics only made 29-per cent of their three-point attempts while losing the ball 17 times.
In order for the Pacers to score an upset against another Eastern Conference giant, everything has to click for them, but it’ll be easier said than done, as per the NBA 2023 odds.
That is because the Bucks are fresh from a 146-122 rout of the Knicks. And similar to the Pacers, six different Bucks managed to score in double digits.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 35 points, and he also recorded 10 assists, eight rebounds, and three steals. Damian Lillard, meanwhile, had 28 points, seven assists, and five three-pointers.
Malik Beasley has been the Bucks’ x-factor lately, and he had 18 points, including six three-pointers.
146 points against New York is Milwaukee’s season high in scoring, and they shot 60.4-per cent from the field and 60.5-per cent (23 for 38) from three-point land, which should put the league on notice.
New Orleans Pelicans @ Los Angeles Lakers
Lakers fans have to be feeling good about themselves because of their recent NBA 2023 results, although the Pelicans will have something to say about that.
The Purple and Gold have enjoyed the in-season tournament because they have yet to lose a single game, and they’re fresh from a 106-103 victory on Tuesday.
The ageless LeBron James led the way with 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and five steals. The King scored 15 of the Lakers’ first 19 points in the final period, and he recorded key assists to help give his team the lead down the stretch.
Anthony Davis had 27 points and 15 rebounds, while Austin Reaves scored 20 points off the bench for Los Angeles.
The game wasn’t without controversy, as after Kevin Durant cut the Lakers’ lead to two points with less than 15 seconds left, the referees granted LeBron James’ request for a timeout during a scramble after Devin Booker seemingly knocked the ball away from Austin Reaves after the inbounds pass.
Anthony Davis was eventually fouled and went 1-for-2 in the charity stripe, and the Lakers secured the win after Kevin Durant missed his game-tying attempt.
Former Laker Brandon Ingram, on the other hand, paced the Pelicans to a 127-117 quarter-finals victory against the Kings on Monday by notching 30 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three three-pointers.
Ingram helped New Orleans erase a nine-point first-half deficit, and they never trailed since in the second half.
Herbert Jones, Jonas Valanciunas, CJ McCollum, Trey Murphy III, and Zion Williamson were big for the Pelicans too, as they combined for 84 points.
One team statistic that stood out for the Pelicans is the fact that they outscored the Kings 52-38 in the paint. But since they’ll be facing a big team like the Lakers, that may not be the case tomorrow.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
