The NBA's inaugural in-season tournament is set for another exciting week as star players like LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo gear up for quarter-final clashes on December 4 and 5.
James, who will turn 39 on December 30, has expressed his desire to add a new trophy to his cabinet in his 21st NBA season. His Los Angeles Lakers, having emerged as undefeated group winners, will face the wildcards, the Phoenix Suns, at home on December 5. On the same day, Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks will take on the wildcards, the New York Knicks.
The quarter-finals will also feature the Indiana Pacers hosting the Boston Celtics and the Sacramento Kings welcoming the New Orleans Pelicans on December 4. All eight teams will be vying for a spot in the semi-finals, which will be held in Las Vegas on December 7.
The tournament will culminate in the title game on December 9 in Las Vegas, where the finalists will compete for the first-ever NBA Cup and a share of the $500,000 prize money per player on the winning team.
"It will be a heavyweight match in Los Angeles," Suns guard Devin Booker said. "A lot on the line, winner goes to Vegas. So I think everyone is looking forward to it. It will be fun."
The Lakers have already defeated the Suns twice this season, including in the group stage of the tournament. Suns star Kevin Durant is averaging 31 points per game, ranking third in the league, while James has continued to dazzle despite his age and the Lakers' recent injury woes.
"The most impressive thing is at what stage in his career he's doing it in," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. "He's breaking barriers, it seems like, every day. I think we're witnessing something that's unprecedented."
Four of the league's top 10 scorers are in the quarter-finals: Durant at No. 3, Sacramento's De'Aaron Fox at No. 4, Antetokounmpo at No. 5, and Boston's Jayson Tatum at No. 9.
Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton leads the league in assists, orchestrating a high-octane offense that has the Pacers averaging 123.8 points per 100 possessions this season.
The Celtics blew out the Pacers 155-104 on November 1 in Boston. Haliburton missed that game, but Indiana coach Rick Carlisle acknowledged the challenge his team faces against the Celtics, who share the best record in the league with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 15-4.
"But we do get to play them at home. So, that's something important," Carlisle said. "We need our building to be as loud and raucous as it possibly can and we need to throw a game out there that's exceptional. I just want to make every appeal I can to our fans that we need the loudest building possible."
Similar to the Lakers, the Bucks advanced with a 4-0 record in group play, including a 110-105 win over the Knicks.
"It would be pretty cool to be part of history," Bucks forward Khris Middleton said about potentially winning the first NBA Cup. "You always want to be the first to win something. So, it would definitely be cool to win the first in-season tournament."
For Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, the tournament could serve as a springboard for playoff success.
"For us, we haven't won nothing," he said as the team looked ahead to their clash with Sacramento. "I think that would be a starting step to try to go and win that."
