The NBA Cup has its home in Los Angeles.
Thanks to a dominant performance from Anthony Davis, the Lakers defeated the Pacers in the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament Championship. In 41 minutes, Davis finished with 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks to lead Los Angeles to a 123-109 victory.
In addition to Davis’ dominance, LeBron James had a double-double with 24 points and 11 rebounds and four assists while Austin Reaves chipped in with 28 points coming off the bench.
While Davis got the ball, James was named NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.
For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 20 points and 11 assists while the bench contributed 45 points, led by 20 points from second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin.
The Sporting News followed score updates and highlights from the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament championship below.
MORE: Why NBA stars are motivated by in-season tournament prize money
Lakers vs. Pacers Final Score
| Team | T1 | T2 | T3 | T4 | Final |
| Lakers | 34 | 31 | 25 | 33 | 123 |
| Pacers | 29 | 31 | 22 | 27 | 109 |
Lakers vs. Pacers Final Score, 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament Championship Results
All times are Eastern.
Final: Lakers 123, Pacers 109
11:25 p.m.: The Lakers win the first ever NBA Cup.
Thanks in large part to a dominant performance from Anthony Davis, the Lakers won the championship with a 14-point victory over a spirited Pacers team. Davis finished with 41 points, 20 rebounds, five assists and four blocks while LeBron James finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament ends with one of the league’s most storied franchises taking home the hardware.
11:10 p.m.: “I am him.”
Anthony Davis was simply dominant. He made a layup to bring his total to 39 points and 20 rebounds and the Lakers were up 16 points with 3:10 to play.
Los Angeles is on the verge of becoming the first-ever NBA Cup winners.
Lakers 115, Pacers 99
11 p.m.: We have a whole battle on our hands.
As the fourth quarter draws to a close, these two teams go head to head. At 5:25 from the end of regulation time, the Lakers lead by six thanks to a triple from Cam Reddish.
Anthony Davis does it all. In addition to his 29 points, 18 rebounds and five assists, he had four blocks, one of which just led to a big swing. If we learned anything from this game, it’s that these Pacers will respond once again.
Lakers 105, Pacers 99
10:47 p.m.: There is no giving up on this Pacers team.
Another quick Indiana run cut the lead to three points with 10:30 left in regulation. Time out Los Angeles. It’s a quick 7-2 Pacers run to open the final frame.
Lakers 92, Pacers 89
End of third quarter: Lakers 90, Pacers 82
10:41 p.m.: As the third quarter draws to a close, Bennedict Mathurin scores a 3-point basket at the buzzer to reduce the deficit.
Anthony Davis’ monster night continues. He is up to 27 points, 16 rebounds and four assists. LeBron James has 20 points, eight rebounds and two assists. Coming off the bench, Austin Reaves has 24 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Tyrese Haliburton is up to 15 points to lead the Pacers, who benefited from their reserves. Aaron Nesmith (13), Mathurin (12) and Isaiah Jackson (10) each reached double figures.
10:34 p.m.: Austin Reaves continues to put numbers on the board, scoring a transition layup to bring the Lakers’ lead back to double digits.
Reaves’ 24 points matched Anthony Davis’ highest total.
Pacers timeout with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
Lakers 84, Pacers 73
10:23 p.m.: The Pacers won’t go away but the Lakers seem to have an answer every time.
Los Angeles leads by eight midway through the third quarter.
Anthony Davis is up to 22 points to tie Austin Reaves’ highest total. On the Pacers side, Tyrese Haliburton has up to eight assists to go along with his nine points on 3 of 5 shooting.
Lakers 77, Pacers 69
10:13 p.m.: It’s a quick 9-3 sprint from the Lakers to start the second half and the Pacers call a timeout as they face a double-digit deficit. Even worse for Indiana was the fact that Myles Turner committed his fourth foul.
Anthony Davis, who is up to 21 points and 12 rebounds, is largely responsible for Turner’s foul problems. LeBron James is up to 17 points, with six rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Lakers 74, Pacers 63
Halftime: Lakers 65, Pacers 60
9:51 p.m.: It’s halftime in Las Vegas and the Lakers take a five-point lead going into the break.
Austin Reaves is up to 22 points, a career high coming off the bench. He is 7 of 9 from the field and 6 of 7 from the free throw line. Anthony Davis was dominant with 17 points, 11 rebounds, two blocks and an assist in 19 minutes.
LeBron James committed three fouls in the first half but had 12 points, five rebounds and two steals.
For the Pacers, Aaron Nesmith leads the way with 11 points coming off the bench while Obi Toppin scored 10 points. Tyrese Haliburton has seven points (on 2 of 4 shooting) and six assists, but also committed three turnovers.
Indiana is 21 of 22 from the free throw line while LA is 11 of 15. It’s been close so far, as these teams continue to go back and forth, the second half could get very interesting.
9:37 p.m.: The Pacers just won’t go away and LeBron James has now committed his third foul.
Timeout on the floor as Los Angeles’ lead was reduced to three points. Indiana will get the ball back at the break with the chance to tie or cut the deficit to one.
Lakers 52, Pacers 49
9:31 p.m.: Anthony Davis now picks up where he left off in the first quarter.
Davis is up to 17 points, nine rebounds and an assist by halftime, taking over from LeBron James, who sits after bringing his total to 12 points in the game. Austin Reaves is up to 13 points in the first half for LA.
However, Indiana trailed thanks to Obi Toppin’s 10 points in the first half and Aaron Nesmith’s nine points coming off the bench.
Floor timeout with 5:12 left in the half.
Lakers 52, Pacers 45
9:21 p.m.: LeBron James entered the chat with some resounding statements.
James was dominant early in the second quarter, scoring six points and grabbing a few rebounds to bring his total for the game to 10 points and three rebounds. James’ reaction to his final two baskets illustrates how much this title would mean to him.
LeBron spins the baseline for the finish ????
???? In-season NBA Tournament Championship on ABC pic.twitter.com/BFsOU9OBwK
-NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2023
Timeout Indiana.
Lakers 44, Pacers 38
End of first quarter: Lakers 34, Pacers 29
9:13 p.m.: After one game, the Lakers are five points ahead of the Pacers.
Anthony Davis was dominant, finishing the quarter with 13 points, eight rebounds and one assist. Austin Reaves came off the bench to contribute seven quick points while D’Angelo Russell scored five points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists.
The Pacers, who shoot 9 of 24 from the field as a team, are led by seven points from Obi Toppin.
It’s been quiet for stars not named Anthony Davis. Tyrese Haliburton has three points, three assists and two turnovers. LeBron James, who committed two fouls, has four points and a rebound.
9:09 p.m.: LeBron James commits his second foul of the game with 1:44 left in the first.
James will head to the bench and it is unclear how long he will sit due to foul trouble.
9:03 p.m.: The second break in action comes with 2:58 left in the first quarter and Los Angeles maintaining a five-point lead.
So far, this game has been all about Anthony Davis. He leads the Lakers with 12 points on 6-of-6 shooting, four rebounds and an assist. As a team, the Lakers are shooting 13 of 20 (65.0%) from the field.
AD hits it HARD and a fade ????
The railcam angle ????
???? In-season NBA Tournament Championship on ABC pic.twitter.com/0yJzYholoq
-NBA (@NBA) December 10, 2023
The Pacers are led by seven points by Obi Toppin while Tyrese Haliburton has yet to prove himself thanks to Los Angeles’ stifling defense.
Lakers 28, Pacers 23
8:50 p.m.: We’re about five minutes into the game and the Lakers are leading by three. The Pacers will have a chance to reduce the deficit as Myles Turner has an extra free throw after the timeout.
It’s been a lot from Anthony Davis early as he leads all scorers with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting. The Pacers are led by five points from Obi Toppin. Tyrese Haliburton has three points and an assist but has already committed two turnovers.
Lakers 15, Pacers 12
8:43 p.m.: It’s game time in Las Vegas. Buddy Hield puts Indiana on the board first with a 3-pointer assisted by none other than Tyrese Haliburton.
Let the battle for the NBA Cup begin.
Pre-match
8:20 p.m.: The teams have arrived on the ground to warm up and we are 20 minutes from tip-off.
Attach your belt.
8:15 p.m.: Something to watch: Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that Lakers guard Austin Reaves is in poor condition but will play with a non-COVID illness.
8 p.m.: The starters are there and there are no surprises on either side.
The Lakers will start with a starting unit consisting of D’Angelo Russell, Cam Reddish, Taurean Prince, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Starting for the Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Buddy Hield, Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin and Myles Turner.
5:30 p.m.: The stage is once again set and LeBron James seems ready to lead his team to the NBA Cup. However, Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers will stand in the way.
LeBron arrives in style for the in-season tournament championship ???? #NBACupRedCarpet
???? Lakers-Pacers
⏰ 8:30 p.m./hour, ABC pic.twitter.com/Yp9ywqYBi6-NBA (@NBA) December 9, 2023
Lakers vs. Pacers start time
- Date: Saturday December 9
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. (Pacific Time)
Lakers vs. Pacers will begin around 8:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 9. The match will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
What channel are Lakers vs Pacers broadcast on?
- Date: Saturday December 9
- TV channel: ABC and ESPN2
- Live broadcast : Sling TV
Lakers vs Pacers will air on ABC. Comedian Kevin Hart’s alternative show “NBA Unplugged” will air on ESPN2. Viewers can also stream the game on Sling TV.
Fans in the United States can watch the biggest games of the 2023-24 NBA season on Sling TV, now offering HALF OFF your first month! Sling basic plans (Sling Orange or Sling Blue) start at just $20 for your first month, or you can get Sling Orange + Blue starting at $27.50 for your first month.
There are no long-term contracts and you can change your channel lineup at any time. DVR is included with thousands of on-demand shows and movies.
NBA In-Season tournament schedule, bracket
Monday December 4
| Results |
| Pacers 122, Celtics 112 |
| Pelicans 127, Kings 117 |
Tuesday December 5
| Results |
| Bucks 146, Knicks 122 |
| Lakers 106, Suns 103 |
Thursday December 7
| Results |
| Pacers 128, Bucks 119 |
| Lakers 133, Pelicans 89 |
Saturday December 9
| Game | Time (ET) | National television |
| Lakers vs. Pacers | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
