The NBA's 30 teams have dwindled down to two, with the Indiana Pacers and Los Angeles Lakers set to clash in the Finals of the In-Season Tournament on Saturday night.
How did we get to this point? Today's edition of The Morning Dunk has got you covered.
Pacers Continue Run Of Upsets
The Indiana Pacers don't care about the odds. All they do is win.
Entering Thursday's semifinal matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks as a four-point underdog, the Pacers continued their undefeated tournament run with a surprise 128-119 victory at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The Pacers have the lowest payroll in the NBA
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2023
Now they're in the semis competing for a shot at $500K each 🫡 pic.twitter.com/L4RSZhORmB
Indiana was also a 4.5-point underdog against the Boston Celtics in the quarterfinals, with the Celtics at one point being the heavy favorite to capture the inaugural NBA Cup.
Tyrese Haliburton led the way with a double-double of 27 points and 15 assists without turning the ball over a single time. He's now second in odds for the tournament's Most Valuable Player at +125.
Lakers Pluck Pelicans En Route To Finals
One team showed up to Las Vegas with the intention of making history, while the other simply showed up.
The New Orleans Pelicans actually led the Lakers after the first quarter, but that's as competitive as this game got. Los Angeles outscored its opponent 104-59 over the next 36 minutes to dominate the Pelicans en route to a 133-89 victory.
LAKERS CRUISE TO THE IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT FINALS 🏆 pic.twitter.com/Bjguy3MX6P
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 8, 2023
Continuing to prove that age is nothing but a number, 39-year-old LeBron James needed just 23 minutes to notch a ridiculous line of 30 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. He becomes the first player to ever record a 30-5-5 line in 23 minutes or less.
