NBA In-Season Tournament 2023: Latest Standings, Predictions After Nov. 21 Group Play

The Indiana Pacers confirmed the most surprising result of the NBA in-season tournament by securing the top spot in East Group A on Tuesday night.

The Pacers won a back-and-forth offensive battle with the Atlanta Hawks to top a group that also features the Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers.

Indiana is undefeated in the new event and has scored the second-most points in tournament games.

The Los Angeles Lakers, who played one more in-season tournament game than Indiana, are the only other team to score over 400 points in the competition so far.

LeBron James and Co. cruised to their fourth victory in West Group A to secure one of the four quarterfinal spots out of the Western Conference.

The other two group winners and the best second-place team from each conference will advance to the final eight.

Updated Standings

East Group A

1. Indiana (3-0)

2. Cleveland (2-1)

3. Philadelphia (2-2)

4. Atlanta (1-2)

5. Detroit (0-3)

East Group B

1. Milwaukee (2-0)

2. Miami (2-0)

3. New York (1-1)

4. Charlotte (1-2)

5. Washington (0-3)

East Group C

1. Boston (2-0)

2. Brooklyn (2-1)

3. Orlando (2-1)

4. Chicago (0-2)

5. Toronto (0-2)

West Group A

1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0)

2. Phoenix (2-1)

3. Utah (2-2)

4. Portland (1-3)

5. Memphis (0-3)

West Group B

1. New Orleans (2-1)

2. Denver (2-1)

3. Houston (1-1)

4. Dallas (1-2)

5. Los Angeles Clippers (1-2)

West Group C

1. Sacramento (2-0)

2. Minnesota (2-0)

3. Golden State (1-1)

4. Oklahoma City (1-2)

5. San Antonio (0-3)

Indiana Has Potential To Win In-Season Tournament

The Pacers' high-flying offense can compete with anyone in the NBA.

That makes the Pacers a surprise candidate to win the in-season tournament.

Indiana posted 157 points on Tuesday night behind Tyrese Haliburton's 37 points and 12 assists.

The Pacers added Tuesday's victory to a collection that includes wins over the Cavs and 76ers in which they combined to score 253 points.

Haliburton is the star of the high offensive outputs, but he received help from a handful of other players to turn the team into a contender.

No team has been able to fully slow down the Pacers offense yet this season, and until that happens, the Pacers have to be considered as a legitimate contender to win the in-season tournament.

From the NBA's perspective, it may be nice to see a different team in a position of power and that would make the knockout round of the in-season tournament feel different than the NBA postseason.

Lakers Sit In Great Spot to Win West Portion of Bracket

The Lakers confirmed their spot in the quarterfinals with a Tuesday win over the Utah Jazz.

James, Anthony Davis and Co. faced little threat from the Jazz, as has been the case against most of West Group A.

The Lakers also beat the Memphis Grizzlies and Portland Trail Blazers by double figures. Those results occurred after a close victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Los Angeles' overall performances in West Group A may not stand out to some because of the lackluster opposition outside of Phoenix, but the team must be commended for winning those contests in dominant fashion, like we expected it to.

The Lakers won six of their last seven games and they can fine-tune their rotations in the next week-and-a-half before the quarterfinals on December 4 or 5.

At their best, the Lakers can challenge anyone in the Western Conference for a spot in the in-season tournament final.

Which teams they have to face to reach that point will be determined on Friday and Tuesday.