Indiana Pacers preparing for the storybook In-Season Tournament Finals opponent in Los Angeles Lakers
LAS VEGAS — It couldn't be more fitting for the Indiana Pacers. In the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Finals, they will play the same franchise that topped them in their only ever NBA Finals appearance.
Back in 2000, the Pacers conquered the Eastern Conference for the first time. In the title series, they faced off with the Los Angeles Lakers, one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. Los Angeles, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, defeated Indiana in six games.
23 years later, the Pacers are in a finals again. This time, though, it's the In-Season Tournament Finals, and of course their opponent is the Lakers. It's only fitting that Indiana's team would go against Los Angeles with a pair of stars — this time it's LeBron James and Anthony Davis — again.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle was an assistant coach with the blue and gold during that 2000 NBA Finals series. It's still seared into his brain. "I remember it well," Carlisle said of that series. "This is not the NBA Finals. But this is the finals of something that's very significant because it's the first of its kind," he added. Carlisle was in a good mood after his team wrapped up practice on Friday. "I suppose you can draw some comparisons given the two franchises, organizations. Whatever the case, it's a challenge that we love."
For Carlisle's team, even beyond the circular ties to their past finals appearance, the Lakers are the ideal test. Throughout the entirety of the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers have been tested with premier opponents. They've already had to take down Milwaukee, Boston, Cleveland, and Philadelphia — the top-four teams in the Eastern Conference last season — to reach this point. It's fitting that a team with a player known as the King stands in their way of the NBA Cup.
"He's like the final boss," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said of James. He was a LeBron fan growing up, including a brief stint as a Lakers fan when James signed there before Haliburton was in the NBA.
Their opponent only adds to what is already a massive stage for the Pacers. One of the biggest stories for the team this entire week has been their ability to rise to the occasion. They craved an opportunity to show the world what they are capable of, and they've been able to do that by taking down Boston on TNT and Milwaukee on ESPN this week.
Now, they must beat the NBA's most popular team on the largest sports broadcasting network in the world. And they have to do it in Las Vegas, a city that is far closer to LA than Indianapolis.
Indiana has been ready for these moments throughout the Tournament. But their biggest moment yet will come on Saturday night, and their opponent is a big factor in everything feeling so grand.
"Any time you're playing against the likes of LeBron, Anthony Davis, all their guys. It's the Lakers. You just have to be ready and locked in," Pacers veteran guard T.J. McConnell said Friday. He added in another challenge: the flight from Los Angeles to Vegas is way shorter, and Los Angeles is a popular team. There are going to be many more Lakers fans than Pacers fans in T Mobile Arena tomorrow night.
Beyond any narratives or storylines, the Lakers are a tough team to beat. They aren't just names. At 14-9, they sit in fourth-place in the Western Conference, and they're 11-5 since Rui Hachimura returned from an early-season injury. They're better than their record indicates after dealing with numerous injuries all season.
They also are the type of team that has given the Pacers fits this season — a top-tier defensive group. Los Angeles has the sixth-best defensive rating in the NBA, and three of Indiana's worst games this season (at Boston, vs Portland, and vs Orlando) came against top-11 defenses. The blue and gold have had success this campaign against the Celtics and Cavaliers, two other top-10 defenses, but teams that can get stops consistently are capable of taking the Pacers out of their game.
All together, the Lakers are the perfect opponent for the Pacers to prove themselves. Stylistically, they are the exact type of team that has given Indiana fits all season. In the arena, they will be another obstacle that the persistent Pacers have to overcome — it might as well be a road game. From a national perspective, the purple and gold will be the favorites. Indiana will have to pull off another upset, and they'll have to do it against the franchise that took them out in their only NBA Finals appearance.
"To be able to compete against him in a championship is kind of like a storybook a little bit, and it's going to be a lot of fun," Haliburton said of James on Friday.
There are narratives, basketball intrigue, and full circle moments hanging over the Pacers-Lakers In-Season Tournament title game tomorrow. It's the perfect opponent for Indiana, and if this week has been any indication, they'll be ready.
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