The Lakers, fifth in the Western Conference record, won the In-Season Tournament championship, and the Pacers, fifth in the Eastern Conference record, became the In-Season Tournament runner-up. Of course, the In-Season Tournament ranking has nothing to do with the final NBA rankings next June, but there are many details worth paying attention to. representative. For example, the Lakers’ defense, the Pacers’ offense, and the surprises and inspirations brought by the tournament’s “one-loss-or-die” format.
Most people are curious, why did the Lakers win the championship?
The Lakers rely on “defense.” The Lakers have won four consecutive games in the past, beating the Rockets 107:97, defeating the Suns 106:103, beating the Pelicans 133:89, and defeating the Pacers 123:109 in the In-Season Tournament championship game. In these four games, the Lakers have ranked first in the league in defensive efficiency. It also ranks first in points allowed per game with 99.5 points allowed.
The Lakers can play with such confrontation, intensity, and defensive energy, and the complete defensive front line is the greatest confidence. The three defensive engineers of 198cm Prince, 201cm Reddish, and 203cm Vanderbilt are all healthy and returning to the team. In addition, the two major stars Davis and James are already very good at defense. The 196cm guard Reeves is also underrated. Defensive general.
The Lakers’ six main defensive players, plus the 203-centimeter Rui Hachimura, are also qualified defensive players.
The seven defensive forwards have matchups, unlimited defense changes, speed and size advantages. The Lakers just play a super defensive system and control the rhythm of the game. Weiss showed O’Neal’s level of dominance on both ends of the penalty area, and James had almost no mistakes in the decisive ball and key ball.
In the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers defeated the Celtics, who were first in the Eastern Conference, at 122:112, and then beat the Bucks, who were second in the Eastern Conference, at 128:119. In a battle against the Celtics, the Pacers scored 19 three-pointers with a 4.75 three-point shooting rate, beating the Celtics. The defense line is full of holes. The Pacers faced the Bucks. Pacers guard Haliburton had 27 points, 15 assists, 7 rebounds, and 0 turnovers.
He scored 5 key points in the fourth quarter to send off the Bucks.
The Celtics and Bucks were unable to defeat Haliburton in defense and matchup. The 23-year-old Haliburton scored a total of 53 points, 28 assists, and 17 rebounds in these two games, with zero turnovers, including 8 of 20 three-pointers. The hit rate is over 56%.
Neither of the two East Division heroes could effectively limit Haliburton’s performance and drive singing, but the Lakers did. Haliburton scored 20 points and 11 assists against the Lakers. Although he still played very well, he had lost his Pacers style and offensive rhythm, and the game was controlled by the Lakers all the way.
Lakers guard and defensive general Gabe Vincent is expected to return from injury in two weeks. If the Lakers add speed, top-notch defense, and three-point line control, the Lakers will be even more terrifying. The Lakers have proven that they are getting better and have a great chance to compete in the Central Plains and compete with the best Timberwolves, Thunder, Mavericks, and Nuggets in the Western Conference.
The Pacers are an underestimated dark horse in the Eastern Conference.
Haliburton drives the offensive rhythm and creativity of the game, which can cause the Celtics and Bucks the most trouble. The Pacers can defeat the Celtics and Bucks in the Eastern District in a “defeat or death” life-and-death battle. On a team with the best stars, the variables in a best-of-seven series will be harder to predict.
Relying on offense to control the game, bombarding opponents with scores, fast breaks, and three-pointers, the Pacers develop their own offensive style, with more fast breaks, more shots, more three-pointers, and more active pressure and counterattacks. Although the Pacers’ defensive efficiency Ranked third from the bottom, but the Pacers are not incapable of defense.
Guard McConaughey, forward Naismith, and center Turner are all defensive warriors. They have the league’s first-class defensive capabilities and inject more influence into the Pacers’ victory and defeat. Haliburton, the Pacers offensive wizard and commander, has the ability to overturn the Eastern Conference playoffs. The playoff rankings are not a problem for the Pacers at all. As long as the Pacers enter the playoffs, the Eastern Conference may change.
The NBA is launching the In-Season Tournament for the first time this year.
The quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals are all one-fight-to-death games, and you will be eliminated if you lose. This is completely different from the best-of-seven series in the past NBA playoffs. Every team has the space and flexibility to go downhill, make adjustments during the series, and experiment with lineups. The Lakers rely on defense as their foundation, and their style of play and team strength are unexpected. The Pacers use their offense as a weapon to control the rhythm of the game, neutralize their opponents’ strengths, and bring the game to their own advantage.
The two winning teams of the In-Season Tournament, the Lakers and Pacers, did not appear in the championship finals by chance or luck. NBA ratings, revenue, momentum, discussion volume, team focus and investment have all become more positive because of the In-Season Tournament. Lively, the alliance is the biggest winner.
The Lakers will at least reach the Western Conference finals this year, and the Pacers will become the biggest spoiler in the Eastern Conference this year. This is the most important “prophecy” at the end of this year’s In-Season Tournament.
