The NBA in-season tournament has been a blast so far. A lot of question marks were raised coming into the season, but after a handful of in-season tournament games, it’s safe to say that Adam Silver and the rest of the NBA organisation did well in bringing a new source of excitement and entertainment into the league’s regular season.
Teams in West Group A will have a crack at it in tomorrow’s slate. The Lakers rule the in-season tournament by staying undefeated after three games. They currently lead the tournament with 14 points, but the Utah Jazz are right behind them in the second spot in West Group A with two wins and six points.
Meanwhile, the top dogs in East Group A, the Indiana Pacers, will have their hands full when they visit the budding Atlanta Hawks in an attempt to keep their top spot. The Pacers are the only team left with a perfect record in East Group A, while the Hawks have split their first two games with a win and a loss.
Read more below as SBOTOP presents a preview of tomorrow’s in-season tournament schedule.
Utah Jazz @ Los Angeles Lakers
The undefeated Los Angeles Lakers will host the Utah Jazz, who fought tooth and nail against one of the NBA 2023 odds favourites, the Phoenix Suns, in the last round of the in-season tournament.
The young talent of the Jazz held their own against future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant and the rest of the Suns. Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson lit up Vivint Smart Home Arena by scoring a team-high 37 points, while Finnish forward Lauri Markkanen put up 21 points in 40 minutes of play.
But it wasn’t enough to get one over the Suns, as Kevin Durant was close to putting up a triple-double with 38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. His running mate, Devin Booker, did a stellar job running the offence, posting 24 points and 15 assists in 32 minutes.
The Jazz look to bounce back when they visit La La Land tomorrow, but it will be a tall order as Darvin Ham has been running a tight ship over at the Lakers. LeBron James and the rest of the team have been thrashing their group rivals in the tournament, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down.
Their success this NBA season has been because of LBJ’s longevity and AD’s health. The dynamic duo has been producing wins and NBA 2023 highlights for the purple and gold early in the young season, so it’s safe to expect more of the same tomorrow against the Jazz.
Cleveland Cavaliers @ Philadelphia 76ers
Meanwhile, over in the East, the Cavs, who humbled the defending champions Denver Nuggets yesterday, will face yet another formidable squad tomorrow when they visit the 76ers for an in-season tournament bout. Joel Embiid and the rest of the Sixers have looked rejuvenated ever since trading James Harden.
They are currently the second team atop the Eastern Conference with a 10-3 record, only behind the Boston Celtics. The Sixers have also found success in the in-season tournament by winning two of their first three matches, and with a victory against the Cavs tomorrow, Nick Nurse and the rest of the Sixers could find themselves as the East Group A leaders.
But that would be a tough task because the Cavaliers have found their groove and are currently riding a three-game win streak. With their recent run, they found themselves over .500 and are currently the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference.
And with their escalating confidence, going up against a formidable team like the 76ers shouldn’t faze them one bit.
Indiana Pacers @ Atlanta Hawks
The Pacers have been a menace in the in-season tournament, cementing their dominance in East Group A after thrashing the Sixers in Philadelphia 126-132. With that win, Indiana are the sole leaders of their group with a 2-0 record. But Haliburton and his teammates aren’t out of the woods just yet, as the Sixers are just half a game behind them in the standings.
They look to bolster their lead in East Group A with a win against the Atlanta Hawks, who are 1-1 to start the tournament. The Hawks have been mediocre to start their 2023–24 campaign. They’re on a two-game losing streak that caused them to split their first 12 games of the season 6-6.
Trae Young has been erratic this season, averaging 23.4 points and 11.1 assists, but his efficiency on the floor took a horrendous dip. The 25-year-old is shooting 35.6 per cent from the field and 28.2 per cent from beyond the arc. A win against the Pacers tomorrow would surely elevate Young’s game and give the Hawks a bounce in their step, as they would improve their record in both the Eastern Conference and in East Group A.
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