🏀 The IST Finals are set!

Christmas in July? How about the NBA Finals in December!

The Lakers and Pacers are facing off in the first-ever In-Season Tournament final tomorrow, and we couldn’t be more excited. If only we could see Tyrese Haliburton throwing lobs to LeBron…

Also, ICYMI: the Shooting Stars Collection is out NOW! Whether you’re looking for the perfect Christmas present for your hoops-loving friend or just a nice piece to spice up your own winter wardrobe, we've got you covered with high-quality shirts, hoodies, and hats for Enjoyers of the game. Shop below.👇

Today’s Lineup

🔥 Hali is HIM: Haliburton’s playmaking clinic leads Pacers over Bucks!

👑 The King Dominates: LeBron and Co. show no mercy in rout of Pelicans.

🎥 Film Friday: We analyze one of the NBA’s most intriguing rookies…

Last Night’s Action

Tyrese Haliburton solidifies Him-self as Pacers take down Bucks 128-119

We don't know about y'all, but the In-Season Tournament has crushed our expectations… and then some. And a lot of that has to due with a breakout run from one of the league’s best young teams.

This Pacers squad is what basketball is all about. Relentless hustle, unselfish play, and a team where every guy plays with a chip on their shoulder. And on a night where Indiana’s shots weren't falling, it was who else but Tyrese Haliburton (27 PTS, 15 AST) who saved the day by setting his teammates up with wide open looks time and time again. 28 assists and zero turnovers over his last two games? We're getting into Magic Johnson territory here, people.

Let's give credit where credit’s due, though, because Milwaukee hung around until the very end. Giannis (37 PTS, 10 REB) was an efficient offensive force all night and Damian Lillard (27 PTS, 7 AST) exploded for 16 points in the third quarter, giving the Bucks a slight lead heading into the last frame.

But that’s when Haliburton decided to take over. The former Cyclone absolutely dominated in the fourth quarter—he even stole Dame’s celly to end it. Savage. ⌚

Lakers eviscerate Pelicans 133-89 behind King James’ 30

A close game in the second semifinal would have been nice, but LeBron hitting logo threes was a pretty good consolation prize.

Real talk though: you only need to look at the scoreboard once to see that this win was as comprehensive as comprehensive can get for the Lakers. The defense? Smothering. The shooting? Practically can’t-miss. The lobs to AD? As beautiful as ever:

And the man at the heart of it all? You already know who it is. LeBron James’ stat line (30 PTS, 8 AST) might not seem that crazy in a vacuum, but then you realize that he scored 30 points on 12 shots… in 23 minutes… with zero turnovers. #year38 💪

So here we are. Indy vs. LA. Rese vs. Bron. Youth vs. Experience. The 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament final is about to be ELECTRIC, and you already know we wanna hear your picks:

Wednesday Night Notes

• It was just another day on the job for Luka Doncic, who casually dropped a 25-point triple-double in the first half of Mavericks-Jazz. It’s the first time that’s ever been done in NBA history 😳. Dallas won by 50 over Utah, and Luka seems like he's on a mission to snag his first MVP…

• Are we in 2016?!? Steph Curry just gave us an absolutely vintage performance in the Warriors’ comeback win over the Blazers. The 3PT GOAT dropped 22 in the second half (31 total PTS) including this dagger to ice the game with just seconds to go. Still as cold as ever. 🥶

• The Clippers have been catching a lot of flak since the James Harden trade, but it's hard to think of a better way to shut the haters up than holding the reigning Finals MVP to the worst shooting night of his career. Nikola Jokic was just 9-for-32 from the field in LA's 111-102 W over Denver. 🔒

• Rudy Gobert must have felt threatened by Wemby for his title as the #1 French guy in the league, because the three-time DPOY dominated the Spurs with 16 points and 20 boards on Wednesday. He was a major factor in the Timberwolves holding the Spurs to just 94 points in Minnesota’s win.

• There were too many great performances to give each one its own blurb! A few of our favorites that we haven't mentioned yet include Desmond Bane catching fire with a career-high 49 in the Grizzlies’ win over Detroit, Joel Embiid cooking Washington to the tune of 50-13-7, and Paolo Banchero setting a career high of his own (42) in a loss to Cleveland.
  

Film Friday

French phenom Bilal Coulibaly’s meteoric rise up draft boards was one of the biggest stories of the 2023 NBA draft cycle. Now, as one of the youngest players in the league, Wemby’s former teammate has shown incredible promise as an all-around defender and efficient low-volume attacking threat.

The first thing you’ll notice about Coulibaly is his poise on defense. Standing at 6’7” with a 7’2” wingspan, he has the ideal frame of a versatile wing who can wreak havoc with his long arms. Among all rookies averaging at least 15 minutes per game, Coulibaly ranks first in steals per 36 minutes (1.6). Just look at his awareness here to sag off his man and poke the ball away from Robert Covington:

Defense might be where he truly shines, but Coulibaly has also shown an ability to make an impact on the other side of the court. While he hasn’t been a force on the ball, the eighth-overall pick is already an efficient safety valve in the Wizards’ offense thanks to his catch-and-shoot ability and athleticism in transition.

It might be on a low volume, but this man is one of the most efficient rookies in the league right now with regards to true shooting percentage (only behind Cason Wallace among non-bigs). Coulibaly should be a great role player and elite defender in this league for years to come, and he has the potential to blossom into a true star if he can improve off the dribble.

Three in the Key

• Steph couldn’t help but mess with his former teammate during the broadcast! 😂

• Luka must have forgotten he was on camera… 💀

• Dame D.O.L.L.A. is pure class as usual.

What We’re Enjoying

The Future Is Bright: If you don’t know by now, the Kenny Beecham Podcast is an essential part of any hoops fan’s week. On the latest episode, Kenny offers an insightful look at some of the best up-and-coming NBA teams—check it out here:

Signing Off

Thanks for reading, everybody! We know this is finals season for a lot of you, so we just wanted to say: you got this! Even if things don’t go your way, remember that one bad grade doesn’t define you.

Until next time,

-Spencer Poole