Tonight’s NBA In-Season Tournament finale won’t just be a battle between a blueblood team vs. an up-and-comer, but it will be one of the league’s greatest players going up against one of its hottest young stars.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton have been putting up insane numbers lately and have led their teams to a win away from the NBA Cup.
These two players are leading, or carrying, their respective teams in this tournament. Both teams will put their 6-0 tournament record on the line when they square off Saturday night.
They got here in surprising fashion. The Pacers knocked off one of the favorites to win the tournament as well as the NBA Finals, Milwaukee Bucks 128-119. The Lakers dominated the New Orleans Pelicans 133-89.
It was the first time the Lakers beat an opponent by 40+ points since 2004.
Haliburton and James were big reasons why their teams advanced.
Related: NBA In-Season Tournament leading scorers and all-tournament team
| Matchup | Tyrese Haliburton vs. Milwaukee Bucks | LeBron James vs. New Orleans Pelicans |
| FG% | 57.9% | 75% |
| 3P% | 33.3% | 1.000% |
| FT% | 1.000% | 1.000% |
| Points | 27 | 30 |
| Rebounds | 7 | 5 |
| Assists | 15 | 8 |
| Steals | 0 | 0 |
| Blocks | 1 | 0 |
Thursday’s games were a continuation of Tyrese Haliburton’s and LeBron James’ great runs
Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
The game against Milwaukee was the third time that Haliburton has scored at least 25 points and had at least 15 assists with zero turnovers.
No other player in NBA history has more than one of these games. And since Nov. 12, he has accomplished this feat three times. In November, Haliburton put together the best month of his career.
Haliburton’s performance helped Indiana to pull away in the fourth quarter, outsourcing Milwaukee by 12 in the final period. The Pacers’ victory was their first on the season without making 10 three-pointers.
In the second game, the Lakers took advantage of the lethargic and sluggish Zion Williamson for multiple easy buckets.
Their defense held New Orleans to 35.8% shooting from the field and 22.6% from three and outrebounded them 59 to 42. Most importantly, they only allowed New Orleans to score 35 total points in the second half.
Haliburton and James have been excellent during the NBA In-Season Tournament. The winner of the championship game will likely determine who takes home the MVP honors.
Related: Why LeBron James and the Lakers will win the NBA In-Season Tournament
| NBA In-Season Tournament stats | Tyrese Haliburton | LeBron James |
| FG% | 51.8% | 58.8% |
| 3P% | 44.6% | 62.5% |
| FT% | 88.9% | 77.1% |
| Points | 27.8 | 26.8 |
| Rebounds | 5.5 | 7.5 |
| Assists | 13.7 | 8.2 |
| Steals | 1.3 | 1.5 |
| Blocks | 0.5 | 0.2 |
| Turnovers | 1.8 | 2.5 |
The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers have been evenly matched in recent meetings
The Lakers and Pacers were just two of four teams to go undefeated in the group stage, Sacramento and Milwaukee were the others.
In the knockout stage, the Lakers faced off, again, against Phoenix in the quarterfinals and the Pacers beat Boston in the quarterfinals.
The championship game between Indiana and Los Angeles will be a battle between a great offense and defense.
During this tournament, the Pacers averaged 132.7 points per game. The Lakers are giving up the fewest at 102.
These two teams faced off twice last season, and each time the game was decided by one point.
The first meeting was a November 116-115 game highlighted by an Andrew Nembhard buzzer-beater over James in Los Angeles. James had 21 in the game and Haliburton had 24.
In February, the Lakers won 112-111 in Indianapolis when Buddy Hield missed a 16-footer as time expired. James and Haliburton scored 26 points in this one
If last year’s games and how James and Haliburton are playing are any indication, the first NBA In-Season tournament championship game should be a thriller.
