The Los Angeles Lakers have been unstoppable in the In-Season Tournament this year. In fact, they have aced through all of their games in the group stage and are currently sitting atop their West Group A with a 4-0 record. Along with the Indiana Pacers, the LA side has become the first two teams to qualify for the tournament’s knockout stage.
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LeBron James is quite excited about winning this tournament, admittedly due to the $500,000 in prize money guaranteed to each player of the winning team. In a press conference following the Lakers’ first on-road win this season, James told reporters, “Y’all heard that there’s $500,000 on the line, so we’re going for that.” Surely, half a million dollars in line is a huge motivational factor for the Lakeshow, especially for those players who don’t have decorated contracts like their team’s billionaire leader.
Furthermore, players can earn more money through each knockout stage, the longer they survive in the tournament. For example, if a team loses in the quarterfinals, the team’s players would still have $50,000 up for grabs. The players on the team losing the semi-finals will earn $100,000 each, and the finalist team’s players will earn $200,000 each.
As the Lakers have already secured a place in the quarter-finals, LeBron James and co. are now guaranteed to win $50,000 even if they lose their opportunity to advance to the next stage. However, given the enthusiasm in the team, it’s quite unlikely that the Lakeshow will only settle for $50,000 in the tournament.
NBA teams fight tooth and nail to secure their berths for the knockout stage
The groups in both the Eastern and Western conferences are witnessing some epic battles among teams looking to secure a berth in the knockout stage. In the West, the Lakers have already qualified for the quarterfinals after beating the Utah Jazz in their final group-stage game.
There are sixteen teams that still potentially have a mathematical shot at qualifying for the quarter-finals. However, not all teams have the same likelihood of qualifying. In the West, six teams are battling for the final three spots, with the Phoenix Suns’ improved 3-1 record giving them an edge to reach the next stage via wild card. In the East, the Pelicans are the only one to earn a QF spot, leaving 10 of the 15 teams from the conference still in contention for progressing to the next stage.
The quarter-final stage of the In-Season tournament will be hosted next month, on the 4th and 5th of December. Following this, the semi-finals are scheduled for December 7, followed by the NBA Cup Final in Las Vegas on the 9th of December.
