NBA In-Season Tournament 2023: Top Storylines for Tuesday's Quarterfinals
The NBA in-season tournament continues with two quarterfinal round games Tuesday night.
The New York Knicks will take to the court against the Milwaukee Bucks first (7:30 p.m., TNT) while the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns wrap up the day's action (10:00 p.m., TNT). Both games will stream live on Max.
Storylines abound in the showdowns, with one team seeking to remain unbeaten in tournament competition, one star hoping to be the difference for his team, and another seeking to lead his team to the Las Vegas and the tournament semifinals.
Dive deeper into each of those with this preview of the quarterfinal play.
Lakers Look to Remain Undefeated
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The Los Angeles Lakers return to the court Tuesday looking to extend their undefeated streak in the NBA in-season tournament as they play the Phoenix Suns in one of two semifinals matches on the schedule.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis have approached the tournament like players possessed by the desire to win, though the latter was quick to downplay the significance of the tournament when speaking to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times.
"I mean, obviously it's a big game as far as the tournament goes, but we're taking it as another game. Obviously you want to get to Vegas and have a chance to win it all, but we're not putting too much stress on or too much pressure on ourselves that this is an end-all, be-all type of game."
It is a big game, though, particularly for a team still trying to find itself amid preseason expectations and early season struggles related to significant injuries to key contributors. And if the team is downplaying the significance of the tournament quarterfinal, they forgot to tell Davis and James, who have played with renewed aggression and intensity, the idea of hoisting a trophy of any kind driving them on the court.
They will need that drive, aggression, and intensity Tuesday night. It will not be the first time the Lakers and Suns have matched up in this tournament. The first time, on November 10, saw Los Angeles beat Phoenix by three, 122-119.
In their latest match-up, the Suns will have guard Devin Booker, one of the best in the league at his position. They will be without Bradley Beal, though, who will miss the game with a back injury.
Conversely, the Lakers are expected to have both Jarred Vanderbilt and Rui Hachimura back in the lineup as the team continues to trend toward getting healthy following a tumultuous start to the 2023-24 campaign.
The question then becomes whether inserting them into the lineup will affect the chemistry that has gotten the Lakers to this point, with an unblemished record in tournament play and a chance to score an early victory in a year they have bigger, NBA title hopes.
Perhaps, but bolstering any lineup in the league with players of Vanderbilt and Hachimura's quality should only improve a team and that will almost certainly be the case for a Lakers squad that can send an emphatic message to its rivals by making it 2-0 in tournament play against a team that figures to be major competition later in the season.
Devin Booker Returns for the Suns
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Devin Booker did not play the first time the Lakers and Suns tangled in this in-season tournament and the Phoenix Suns lost by three.
That will not be the case Tuesday as Booker is back in the lineup.
"Missing any game is tough, I'm excited for this one," Booker said. "I know they're playing well as of now. They're back healthy. They have their roster back. It'll be a heavyweight match in L.A. A lot on the line. Winner goes to Vegas. I think everyone is looking forward to it. It should be fun," he told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic (h/t Hoops Rumors for the transcription).
A heavyweight match is exactly what fans can expect, especially if Booker plays at full strength.
The guard is averaging 27.9 in 34.2 minutes this season, with 5.8 rebounds and 8.4 assists.
When he has been healthy and on the floor, he has lived up to his billing as an elite player in the league. The Suns will need every bit of his elite play Tuesday, especially without Bradley Beal, who will sit out the quarterfinals with a back injury.
Can Julius Randle Lead Knicks Past Giannis, Bucks?
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On the heels of a stretch that saw him named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Julius Randle will now focus his attention on guiding his New York Knicks past Giannis Antentokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night.
It was a slow return to form for Randle, who underwent offseason ankle surgery to repair damage from two separate, damaging sprains but the power forward looks like the dominant game changer he was for the team two seasons ago.
Randle averaged 24.7 points, 13.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists to take home the Week 6 award and will look to continue that level of play against the Bucks.
A win and the Knicks head to Las Vegas for a semifinal showdown with the Pacers. It would also help them avenge a November 3 loss to the Bucks, 110-105.
"I packed for Vegas," Randle told Peter Botte of the New York Post, his confidence brimming in that one statement.
A loss would send the team to Boston Friday for a game against the Celtics, who were upset and bounced from the tournament by Indiana.
"We feel like we are improving every game, every day. Guys individually, and as a team. This will be a good test for us, to just keep pushing the limit of who we are as a team."
Randle has been a big part of the team's recent improvement and will be key in overcoming one of the best teams in the league.
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