In-Season Tournament Round 1 Preview

After a hectic and confusing close to the group play stage of the inaugural In-Season Tournament, eight teams have moved on to the knockout rounds. Set to begin on Monday, there are exciting matchups on both sides that would draw attention on any night, but especially with elimination at stake. Here is a preview of how the teams match up and who the key players are.

Eastern Conference

Indiana vs. Boston, Monday 7:30 pm ET

The Boston Celtics sit at the top of the East Standings and are tied for the best record in all of basketball. They will travel to Indiana for this matchup who are one game above .500 at home this year. This game pits Indiana's number-one offense against the Celtics' second-ranked defense. In their only matchup this year, Boston trampled Indiana by a margin of 51 points (without Tyrese Haliburton).

In group play, Indiana won all four of their games, averaging 136.5 points on 50 FG% and 43.7 3P%. The caveat? Their opponents averaged 126.8 points. If Indiana struggles to match their scoring output thus far, another blowout could be in the making because they are not winning this game with their defense.

The other side of this matchup features a much more balanced Boston team. While their tournament numbers are slightly worse than their season average, Boston has still scored 112 points a night while holding their opponents to 105. Boston's defense should be solid, but if Jayson Tatum struggles like he has during the tournament, the Celtics could easily fall behind a much faster Pacers squad.

Key Players:

Tyrese Haliburton Tournament Averages: 28.5 ppg, 13.5 apg, 5 3 PM, 46.7 3P%

Jayson Tatum Tournament Averages: 21.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 40.8 FG%, 21.2 3P%

Milwaukee vs. New York, Tuesday 7:30 pm ET

After a slow start to the season, the Bucks have found a groove... offensively. Milwaukee ranks sixth in offensive rating at 117.5 but continues to struggle on defense, currently ranked 20th. They clinched their group with a win over the Heat on Tuesday (without Jimmy Butler) but subsequently fell to a Bulls team without DeMar DeRozan or Zach LaVine. With no reasonable point-of-attack defenders, the Bucks will be over-reliant on Brook Lopez and Giannis Antetokounmpo to protect the paint against a Knicks team ranked fifth in drives. The good news is that the Damian Lillard-Antetokounmpo pairing has started to actualize the preseason fears. Over the last five games, the star duo is averaging a combined 56.6 points.

For the Knicks (who sneaked into the wildcard position), their game plan will be to dominate the glass as they have all year (leading the regular season and In-Season Tournament in REB%). Mitchell Robinson has been the defensive anchor all year for the Knicks, contributing to New York's fourth-best regular season defense and first-ranked tournament defense. Offensively, the Knicks have sputtered in the tournament, ranking 19th in efficiency, but Jalen Brunson torched Group B for 28 points a night. The All-Star Guard should have his way against the Buck's backcourt, and if Mitchel Robinson continues his All-Defensive season, the Knicks could upset one-seeded Milwaukee.

Key Players:

Jalen Brunson Tournament Averages: 28.3 ppg, 5.3 apg, 53.8 FG%, 40.7 3P%

Damian Lillard Tournament Averages: 30 ppg, 7 apg, 52.2 FG%, 48.4 3P%, 97.1 FT%

Western Conference

Sacramento vs. New Orleans, Monday 10 pm ET

With De'Aaron Fox returning from an ankle sprain in mid-November, the Kings have looked like one of the best teams in basketball. Over the last nine games, the Kings' offensive rating has improved by four points and is ranked ninth in the league. During that stretch (record of 6-3), Fox has scored 40 points twice and gone over 28 five times. The Kings have been 11 points better per 100 possessions with Fox on the floor during the tournament and won all four of their group play games. Fox is the pacesetter for this offense, and is a matchup nightmare for any team, especially with his improved three-point shooting. The shot-creation, speed, and dynamic guard play of Fox and Malik Monk has been difficult for any team to contain this year, but the Pelicans might have solutions.

After starting the season 4-1, New Orleans dropped five of their next six games. Since then, they have gone 6-4, with notable wins against the Mavericks, Kings (twice), Nuggets, Clippers, and 76ers (without Joel Embiid). For the season, they rank 18th in offensive efficiency but have been solid defensively (10th). Dyson Daniels and Herb Jones have been defensive terrors together, boasting a 105.5 defensive rating. On the superstar front, the Brandon Ingram-Zion Williamson minutes were questionable during the losing streak. Yet, things have looked better recently, and the Pelicans are 8.3 points better per 100 possessions with those two on the floor.

New Orleans lost to Houston in their first group play game but won their next three against Dallas, Denver, and the Clippers to clinch the group. The Pelicans have continued to guard throughout the tournament, ranking third in defensive rating. They have the defensive pieces to match up with Sacramento's guards and have one of the most unstoppable players in Zion Williamson. Even though Williamson has not been as effective as in years prior, it seems he is slowly returning to form. Over his last five games, the Pelicans' star is averaging 28 points and six assists on 69 TS%.

Key Players:

Zion Williamson Tournament Averages: 25.3 ppg, 4.3 apg, 6.3 rpg, 53.4 FG%

De'Aaron Fox Tournament Averages: 36 ppg, 8.7 apg, 8 rpg, 48.7 FG%, 38.5 3P%

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix, Tuesday 10 pm ET

The Lakers have been unable to take the load off LeBron James in year 21. So far this year, James has suited up for all but one game and averages 33.5 minutes per contest. Soon to be 39 years old, LeBron's body simply cannot take the beating of an 82-game season and be fresh for the playoffs. Currently sitting in seventh place in the West, the Lakers hope that key players Gabe Vincent and Jared Vanderbilt return to the lineup and that Austin Reaves picks up his play. L.A. has been struggling offensively (23rd in efficiency) and their defense has been average (112.6) compared to their fourth-ranked defense post-all-star break last season. While they swept their group and had success on both ends of the floor, they were in one of the weaker bunches of teams (PHX, MEM, POR, UTA). Anthony Davis has been dominant defensively in the tournament, but his lack of offensive production could limit the Lakers as they match up against the second-most efficient offense in the tournament.

Since returning from injury, Devin Booker has been on a tear. The Suns' guard is currently averaging 27 points and 8.5 assists on 60 TS% leading the Suns to seven victories in their last eight games. Booker's running mate Kevin Durant has also had a phenomenal year, averaging the second most points per game at 31.3. This dynamic 1-2 punch has Phoenix ranked as the seventh-best offense in the association. Booker's playmaking has answered all of the doubt about the Suns lacking a "true-point guard". His ability to leverage his scoring to set up quality shots for his teammates has been exactly what the Suns needed from the three-time All-Star. Booker and Durant have averaged a combined 66.4 points in the tournament and helped the Suns earn the wild card spot after their opening loss to the Lakers. Similar to the Indiana-Boston matchup, if the Suns can stay hot in the Quarterfinals, they could advance to Las Vegas. But, if their porous defense counteracts their offensive production, the Lakers could add to their tournament-leading +74-point differential.

Key Players:

Devin Booker Tournament Averages: 30.7 ppg, 8.3 apg, 55.4 FG%, 50 3P%, 86.2 FT%

LeBron James Tournament Averages: 25 ppg, 7.5 apg, 8 rpg, 60 FG%, 58.3 3P%