NBA Cup: Milestone Moments 🏆
11/22/2023
By: Jeff Yoder
Pacers, Lakers 1st Teams to Clinch In-Season Tournament; Indy Scores 157, LeBron Hits 39K Points
Tuesday’s NBA in-season tournament games were full of excitement as basketball fans everywhere tried to wrap their heads around the format and those wild court designs. As with anything new, it takes some getting used to. But last night was full of firsts — the first-ever group play clinches in NBA in-season tournament history. The first two teams to clinch spots in the knockout bracket were the Pacers (3-0) and Lakers (4-0), and both teams got there with some milestone moments.
Pacers Top Hawks in Historic Shootout (157-152)
Tyrese Haliburton (37 points, 16 assists) and the high-octane Pacers put up a franchise-record 157 points on Tuesday as they held off the Hawks in a track meet. Indiana (3-0) clinched the first spot in the quarterfinals, and the Pacers-Hawks battle was just the ninth game in NBA history where the teams combined for more than 300 total points in regulation (309).
Lakers Smack Jazz (131-99), LeBron Hits 39K Points
A blowout in Los Angeles was the scene for the Lakers to reach a 4-0 record in group play and become the first team in the West to advance to the knockout stage. In the process, LeBron James had 17 points (7 rebounds, 9 assists) to become the first player in NBA history with 39,000 points. King James is still elite, even at 38 (almost 39) years old.
Other NBA In-Season Tournament Highlights
Cavaliers def. 76ers (122-119)
*Blazers 1st Team Eliminated
View In-Season Tournament Bracket
Photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images