Pacers face Lakers for NBA Cup, try to continue lighting up the Strip

The Pacers are all set for Game 83 against the Lakers with the whole NBA world watching.

Photo: @ESPN

The Pacers play the Lakers in the NBA In-Season Tournament final on Saturday evening with the NBA Cup and $500,000 for each player on the line. That means it is time to move past the masterpiece that was the Pacers semifinal win over Milwaukee.

Fortunately, the highlights from that fantastic fourth quarter will live forever and I have to admit, I’ve been wearing out one in particular over the past 36 hours. Kind of like when we used to get CDs and one of the first four tracks was THEE song, so you just kept it on repeat initially. I’m also old enough, that when I was a kid (repeat, kid) we used to be adept at gently dropping a needle in the precise groove on an album to hear a particular song. One of the reasons my hand-eye coordination is elite.

But I digress, so as a ‘basketball as jazz’ consumer of the NBA game, this Pacers team is hitting all of the right notes. And the track I currently can’t stop watching, is the half-court lob pass Tyrese Haliburton threw to Obi Toppin for a flying reverse dunk finish in stride. The play in a vacuum, even if it was jut the two of them on the court, would be amazing.

Victor Oladipo used to use the term ‘feathery’ in a wide variety of contexts, but that play was indeed feathery with both the ball and Toppin floating through the air for the spectacular two.

But what turns this into such an outrageous play, is the context of the moment. The Pacers are down one with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. Isaiah Jackson has just secured a rebound for an extremely valuable defensive stop (all Pacers defensive stops are extremely valuable). Then in a blink of an eye Hali uncorks this incredible play.

Time and score? Please.

More importantly, it is the right play for this Pacers team. One of several buckets they scored within five seconds against the Bucks, some even after makes by Milwaukee. That pressure to push, to allow no time to exhale while also delivering momentum altering finishes, is one of Haliburton’s and the Pacers superpowers this season.

And it is hard to stop watching.

LeBron and the Lakers

Over the what, past 12 years, it seems like every time the Pacers are really having fun during a season. LeBron James has popped up to kill all of the good vibes and end the fun for the Pacers. For three years, from 2012-2014, the Pacers had their best teams since the brawl squad and all three lost in the playoffs to LeBron and the Heat. The last two in epic Eastern Conference Finals. Then when the Pacers recovered and returned to the playoffs, LeBron and the Cavs knocked them out in the first round in both 2017 and 2018.

Somehow at 38, LeBron is playing at an elite level with the Lakers and has enough talent around him to make the Lakers a 4-point favorite to beat the Pacers in the IST NBA Cup final. Of course, he is.

The Pacers are in it, so they might as well win it. The only silver lining in a loss is that this is game 83 and won’t count for anything other than the Cup and the cash. Even in a loss every player will get $200,000. But a run through the Celtics, Bucks and Lakers would continue to shine the bright spotlight on the Pacers that they’ve earned thus far in the IST.

While LeBron seems to be the main problem, the Lakers length throughout the lineup will be a problem which has been the nemesis for the Pacers (think Orlando) in losses this year. Those 6’7 wings like Cam Reddish and Taurean Prince who are buying into a a defensive role next to LeBron and Anthony Davis. Of course, AD can alter any game all by himself at either end of the floor.

Once again, the Pacers have to tap into the contrast in styles which means, hitting the gas in transition (after a make or miss) whenever possible. Five second possessions are a good thing. The Pacers continue to sit atop the league in offense, while the Lakers currently rank 22nd. On the other side, the Lakers are 7th in defense while the Pacers remain in 28th, although their defensives efficiency has dipped below 120 (119.8), so yay.

Andrew Nembhard hyperextended his knee against Milwaukee and will be out along with Stix Smith, so the Pacers will likely keep their rotation tight, although Ben Sheppard could sneak in some minutes to help defend. Regardless, it should be a great show on the Strip, with the Pacers in a starring role once again.

Fieldhouse Party

Also, the Pacers put out word they would host a viewing party for the game, allowing fans in the Fieldhouse for free to export some positive vibes to Sin City. The free ducats ‘sold out’ in less than 24 hours, so there should be some great scenes from GH added to the broadcast, if the Pacers can continue to do their thing.

Also, again, this is December 9th and the Pacers are not only a major topic of conversation around town, but 18,000 fans can’t wait to go down for a communal experience while rooting for the blue and gold.

Game Details

Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV

When: Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023, 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: ABC/ESPN2

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Bruce Brown, Buddy Hield, Obi Toppin, Myles Turner

Lakers: D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, LeBron James, Taurean Prince, Anthony Davis

Injuries

Pacers: Andrew Nembhard (sore knee) - out, Jalen Smith (knee/heel) - out

Lakers: Anthony Davis (hip) - probable, LeBron James (calf) - probable, Jarred Vanderbilt (heel) - probable, Gabe Vincent (knee) - out