NBA In-Season Tournament 2023: Early Storylines for Knockout Rounds After Group Play

The NBA in-season tournament quarterfinals feature a good mix of the league's superstars as well as up-and-coming teams.

Most of the attention will be paid to the Western Conference matchup between Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns and LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Lakers landed the top seed in the West behind a 4-0 record in West Group A that included a victory over the Suns. Phoenix earned the West wild-card berth.

Over in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers and their fast pace of play are the most fascinating storyline.

Indiana hosts the Boston Celtics in its quarterfinal, and with a win, it could play either the Milwaukee Bucks or New York Knicks.

The Pacers are one of three teams left who will try to force themselves into a new level in the NBA hierarchy. The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans square off in the other West quarterfinal with a chance to play the Lakers-Suns winner in Las Vegas.

The quarterfinals take place December 4 and 5. The winners advance to the December 7 semifinals in Las Vegas. The championship game is December 9 inside T-Mobile Arena.

LeBron vs. Kevin Durant

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PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - NOVEMBER 27: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles during the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on November 27, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

James and Durant star in the one superstar matchup that everyone will be talking about.

The Lakers ended up as the best Western Conference team in the group stage with a 4-0 record and a +74 point differential.

The closest of their four wins was a 122-119 victory over the Durant and the Suns.

Phoenix nearly matched the Lakers' overall point total in the group phase. The Suns scored 480 points, while the Lakers netted 499 points.

The quarterfinal in Los Angeles serves as the first true test this season for the new-look Suns with Durant and Devin Booker in an elimination contest.

Either the Suns will beat the Lakers and generate buzz for what they can do in the NBA postseason, or go back to Arizona with things to work on.

An argument can be made that the quarterfinal is more important for the Lakers, who last won a title in the bubble.

James and Anthony Davis appear to have the deepest roster around them since the bubble and an in-season tournament win would serve as a statement to the rest of the league.

The Lakers-Suns winner must be viewed as the favorite to reach the final from the West side of the bracket because of their star power and the absences of the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors and other perennial contenders in the conference.

Can Indiana Win the Whole Thing?

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - NOVEMBER 27: Myles Turner #33 of the Indiana Pacers reacts in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 27, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

Indiana is by far the most fascinating team among the eight quarterfinalists.

The Pacers broke out to 9-7 record by averaging 127.6 points per game.

Tyrese Haliburton and Co. beat the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Philadelphia 76ers in East Group A just to reach the final eight.

The three wins over perennial playoff teams produced a small statement that the Pacers high-scoring offense could find some success.

Tyrese Haliburton and Co. will be tested by Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, but at least they get to play the quarterfinal contest at home.

Boston, who holds the best record in the Eastern Conference, torched the Pacers 155-104 on November 1.

Indiana's been inconsistent over the last few weeks, as it alternated in its last seven games, but its three wins in that stretch came in group play.

The Pacers proved they can at least compete with some top teams in the East, and if they win the quarterfinal, they could be taken for real in the East for the rest of the season.

Kings, Pelicans Looking for Upset in West

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SACRAMENTO, CA - NOVEMBER 28: Malik Monk #0 of the Sacramento Kings drives to the basket and scores the game winning shot during the game against the Golden State Warriors during the In-Season Tournament on November 28, 2023 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans may have the least-talked-about quarterfinal matchup.

They will be overshadowed in the West by the Lakers-Suns battle and the two East matchups are headlined by superstars, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Jayson Tatum.

We should not overlook the Kings-Pelicans quarterfinal because it could produce a surprise finalist in a tournament that already had some unexpected results.

The last of those unlikely finals was produced by the Kings, who erased a double-digit deficit against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.

The Kings only needed to lose by 11 points or less to advance, but that did not stop them from winning the game.

New Orleans quietly won West Group B over Denver, Dallas, Houston and the Los Angeles Clippers.

The impending return of C.J. McCollum makes the Pelicans a fascinating team at full strength.

Lakers-Suns will get all the shine, but the Kings-Pelicans contest could be more entertaining and it could confirm the winner as a true contender in the playoff conversation as well.