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We’re heading down to the wire on the final night of group play for the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, and three of our four knockout stages are now effectively set. We already knew one matchup coming into Tuesday. Barring some very extreme blowouts, the Los Angeles Lakers would host the Phoenix Suns in one of the Western Conference games. Now, we know officially who has advanced in the East.
The Milwaukee Bucks held off the Miami Heat on Tuesday to clinch a 4-0 run through East Group B, and waiting for them in the knockout stage will be a familiar opponent. The New York Knicks faced the Bucks in their very first tournament matchup, and while they fell short of a massive second-half comeback, they are likely thrilled at the chance for revenge they’re about to get.
The other Eastern Conference knockout stage features two teams that have played in one of the more lopsided games of the season to date. The 4-0 Indiana Pacers, winners of East Group A, will host the 3-1 Boston Celtics, winners of East Group C. The last time these teams met during the regular season, the Celtics blasted the Pacers, 155-104 on Nov. 1. This time, however, the Pacers have earned home-court advantage due to their superior group play point-differential.
Tuesday’s In-Season Tournament scores
Bulls at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Raptors at Nets, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Hawks at Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Bucks at Heat, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Hornets at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Thunder at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. (GameTracker)
Rockets at Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. (GameTracker)
Warriors at Kings, 10 p.m. (GameTracker)
Trying to keep up with all the IST action? We’ll be watching the games, keeping track of the standings and calculating those tiebreakers all night until the final eight teams are standing. Follow along with our live blog below.
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