All Lakers Expert Predictions For In-Season Tournament Final Vs Pacers

Your Los Angeles Lakers will face off against the Indiana Pacers tonight in Las Vegas, for the league's first-ever In-Season Tournament championship.

Here are some of our answers to your burning questions ahead of the clash.

How will Los Angeles look to contain Tyrese Haliburton?

Only one LA rotation player definitively on the shelf for a fairly healthy Lakers squad -- unfortunately, that player is Gabe Vincent, one of the team's top two perimeter defenders. Thus, it's safe to expect the other one to do a lot of the Haliburton damage. 6'9" power forward Jarred Vanderbilt is back in the rotation for Los Angeles after missing the club's first 20 contests. He has the strength, speed and size to keep up with star guards on opposing clubs. I assume he'll get most of the assignment, along with perhaps a little Cam Reddish and Austin Reaves.

I am looking forward to seeing Cam Reddish & Jarred Vanderbilt get some run at trying to stop Haliburton. He has been elite over the past couple of weeks in terms of having the ball in his hands so much and not turning the ball over. Therefore, both Vando and Cam should make it their top priority to make this game a long one for him.

Who will be the game's top scorer?

LeBron James (28.5-29.5) and Tyrese Haliburton (28.5) are projected by betting aggregator The Action Network to be the top scorers tonight. Big men Anthony James and Myles Turner are also capable of big nights for their respective squads, but the playmaking aptitude of James and Haliburton makes them the finalists for me. James had an insane night on Thursday against the Pelicans, scoring an efficient 30 points in a scant 22 minutes. Haliburton can score from anywhere, while James is enjoying the best field goal shooting numbers of his entire career (he's making 62.6% of his shots within the arc and 40.7% of his triple tries). While the Lakers have what could be a solid Haliburton stopper in Vanderbilt (or, at least, someone who can convincingly slow him down), I don't trust Pacers Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith or Bruce Brown to be able to effectively contain James. Let's give him the edge.

I predict Anthony Davis will be the leading scorer this game. Even though LeBron James has been turning back the clock this in-season tournament and Haliburton is on an insane tear, AD should get plenty of great looks in the paint today. He will be matched up mainly against Myles Turner who he has had success against in the past.

Can the favored Lakers win/cover the -4.5 spread?

LA boasts one of the best defenses in the league (the team ranks sixth in defensive rating overall at 110.7, and 10th in opponent points allowed per game). The club has the size on the wing and in the interior to ostensible give Indiana trouble. A very motivated LeBron James, a probable future owner of the NBA's probable future Vegas team, is playing out of his mind right now and looks to have fully recuperated from his lingering left calf contusion incurred last month. It's going to be a close one... but not quite as close as the spread. Look for the Lakers to cover.

It will be a very high-scoring game without a doubt and just like Alex said, the Lakers have all the energy and motivation in the world to win this game. LeBron James wants his name on as many records as possible and to be closely associated with the city of Las Vegas, I do believe LA will cover.

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