The In-Season Tournament's final matchup is set.
Both the Lakers and Pacers went a perfect 4-0 in the tournament's Group Play. They then handled business in the Quarterfinals and Semifinals of the Knockout Rounds for an opportunity to win the first-ever NBA Cup.
LeBron James will now look to defy Father Time once again as Los Angeles tries to cool off a red-hot Indiana team led by Tyrese Haliburton. James enters the championship game averaging 26.8 points in In-Season Tournament play while Haliburton has been good for 27.8 points and a league-best 13.7 assists.
In total, the Lakers and Pacers will have played seven In-Season Tournament games. Most teams played only four. How many of those contributed to regular season records?
Here's everything you need to know about how the In-Season Tournament impacts the NBA standings.
MORE: Why NBA stars are motivated by In-Season Tournament prize money
Does the In-Season Tournament championship game count toward regular season records?
The In-Season Tournament featured all 30 teams and a total of 67 games. Group Play games contributed toward the regular season standings, as did the Quarterfinals and Semifinals of the Knockout Rounds.
The Championship is the only In-Season Tournament game that does not impact the regular season standings. Neither player nor team performances in the Championship will count towards regular season statistics, either.
The teams that did not advance to the tournament's Knockout Rounds had two regular-season games added to their calendars, with games being played on Dec. 6 and Dec. 8. The four teams that were eliminated in the Quarterfinals, meanwhile, had one regular-season game added to each of theirs for Dec. 8.
The Pelicans and Bucks, both of whom were knocked out in the Semifinals, won't play on Dec. 8. They will continue their regular season schedule on Monday, Dec. 11.
With the Championship not counting toward the regular season record, the Lakers and Pacers will end up playing 83 games this season as opposed to the usual 82.
When is the In-Season Tournament Championship?
- Date: Saturday, December 9
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET | 5:30 p.m. PT
The Lakers and Pacers will meet in the In-Season Tournament Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9.
The game will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. It is scheduled to tip off around 8:30 p.m. ET.
WATCH: Stream the In-Season Tournament Championship with Sling TV
NBA In-Season Tournament schedule, bracket
Monday, Dec. 4
| Results |
| Pacers 122, Celtics 112 |
| Pelicans 127, Kings 117 |
Tuesday, Dec. 5
| Results |
| Bucks 146, Knicks 122 |
| Lakers 106, Suns 103 |
Thursday, Dec. 7
| Results |
| Pacers 128, Bucks 119 |
| Lakers 133, Pelicans 89 |
Saturday, Dec. 9
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Lakers vs. Pacers | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
