The championship matchup for the inaugural in-season tournament is set, as the Lakers will battle the upstart Pacers in a winner-take-$500,000 game Saturday night. Los Angeles made the final by virtue of a 133–89 beatdown of the Pelicans, while Indiana continued its Cinderella run with a 128–119 win over the Bucks.
Here are five takeaways from an exciting night of hoops.
1. LeBron James wants this. LeBron was sensational during the Lakers’ drubbing of the Pelicans. He scored 30 points in only 23 minutes, with the game so far out of hand he didn’t need to play in much of the second half. Whatever James wanted he got, draining all four of his threes while also barreling his way to the rim and free throw line. You don’t need me to tell you that James, even in Year 21, is one of the best players in basketball. What was especially satisfying about LeBron’s performance is how much he seems to have bought into the tournament. James may not have had Finals intensity, but he definitely wanted to put on a show. From drawing charges to pulling up for heat-check threes, LeBron was all in with a flair. If the IST is ever going to take off, ultimately it needs these types of concerted efforts from the game’s best players. It was reassuring to see James kick into another gear with a new trophy in his sights.
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2. Shout-out to the Pacers’ role players. Tyrese Haliburton has rightfully earned the biggest star turn from the tournament. He dropped 27 points with 15 assists and no turnovers on the Bucks, and riffed on Damian Lillard’s “Dame Time” celly for good measure. Indy’s role players need some love, too, though. Aaron Nesmith looked like a bust in Boston. On Thursday, he provided a big defensive boost off the bench and was a +16 in a playoff-esque environment. T.J. McConnell played some of the loudest 11 minutes possible off the bench, pestering Milwaukee on both ends of the floor. Meanwhile, Myles Turner has managed to shrug off years of trade rumors and continue to produce, scoring 26 in the win. Haliburton is obviously the head of the snake and his name deserves to reach new heights. But this isn’t a one-man band, and Rick Carlisle deserves credit for coaxing an elevated performance from a group of players who, outside of (but also kind of including) Haliburton, haven’t always been the most wanted.
3. The Bucks turned to a zone. With the Pacers’ offense providing problems, Milwaukee played a hefty amount of zone in the fourth quarter Thursday. Indy’s been giving every team in the league issues, so the Bucks shouldn’t be shamed for trying something different. Still, it’s fascinating to see a team that was so secure in its defensive identity for years switch schemes quite radically in a faux-playoff situation. Lillard’s presence is a part of the issue—especially with an opposing guard like Haliburton—as is Milwaukee’s lack of wing stoppers, all exacerbated by the small and fast Pacers. The Bucks still have a great record despite their defensive issues and the growing pains of the Dame-Giannis Antetokounmpo offensive combo. And there’s obviously a long way to go (and moves to be made) before the postseason. How Milwaukee defends in high-leverage moments will be worth watching all season, though. And leaning on a zone shows how different this team is from yesteryear’s Bucks.
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