With the Indiana Pacers set to take on the Milwaukee Bucks in the East semifinals of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, a lot of eyes will be on whether Tyrese Haliburton can continue leading his team during this Cinderella run. Ahead of the Pacers-Bucks showdown on Thursday, we'll make our Pacers In-Season Tournament semifinals predictions.

The Pacers shocked the system on Monday night when they took down the top-favored Boston Celtics, 122-112, in the quarterfinals. Haliburton led Indiana with 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 13 assists, his first career triple-double.

The All-Star guard also made a clutch four-point play that broke a 105-all tie with over a minute remaining in the tight game. That shot sparked a 17-7 run for the Pacers to close the game and book their ticket to Las Vegas.

Indiana waited a day to find out its opponents for Thursday and saw Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks earn the second spot in the East semifinals with a convincing 146-122 win over the New York Knicks. The Bucks are now the new favorites to lift the inaugural NBA Cup, while the Pacers remain the least favored team to win the entire thing. For the second straight game, Indiana enters as heavy underdogs. Can they do it again? With the way this team is playing, anything can happen, especially in a do-or-die setting like this.

The Pacers have already beaten the Bucks this season. They just held on to a two-point victory and managed to overcome a 54-point explosion from Giannis Antetokounmpo. However, Milwaukee played with star point guard Damian Lillard in that one. So, this should be something to think about heading into Thursday's matchup.

Nonetheless, let's move on to our Pacers In-Season Tournament semifinals predictions.

Tyrese Haliburton will outduel Damian Lillard

Tyrese Haliburton has been on an absolute tear this season. With the way he is balling out, the budding superstar certainly has a case of being the best point guard in basketball today. On Thursday, he will go up against one of the best point guards of the past decade in Damian Lillard. Haliburton will certainly love the challenge of going up against a Top 75 player and future Hall of Famer like Lillard, especially on a huge stage like the semifinals of the inaugural In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.

By far, however, Haliburton has been playing at a higher level than Lillard so far this season. The Pacers star has been the hallmark of production and efficiency this season from the point guard spot. In 17 games so far, he is averaging 26.9 points and is leading the league in assists with 11.9 dimes per game. He is also shooting a 52.1 percent from the field, 44.7 percent from beyond the arc, and 88.1 percent from the foul line.

Meanwhile, Lillard is averaging 25.6 points and 6.7 assists, but is shooting just 43.6 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from long distance. The 33-year-old struggled to begin the season as he adjusted to his new team, but is slowly finding his footing in a Bucks uniform. Lillard hasn't completely settled in just yet. So expect Haliburton to outduel the 7-time All-Star in this one.

Pacers will score at least 150 points

The Pacers are the highest scoring team in the Association this season. They are averaging 128.4 points per game, which is over five points more than the No. 2 Atlanta Hawks. The Bucks, meanwhile, are third with 122.3 points per game. They also have the best offensive rating in the NBA, while Milwaukee is at No. 3. So, expect this game to be a high-scoring affair against two teams who are in the top five in pace.

Indiana just scored 122 points against a Celtics team that ranks second in defensive rating and holds their opponents to 108.1 points per game. Just imagine what they could do to a Milwaukee team whose defense has tapered off this season after they let go of Jrue Holiday in the offseason to bring in Lillard.

The Bucks just dropped 146 points against the Knicks. If they carry their momentum from that game and the Pacers go blow for blow against them, it wouldn't be shocking if Indiana cracks 150 points.

Pacers continue their Cinderella run to the In-Season Tournament Championship

The previous game showed just how inspired and motivated this Pacers team is about proving themselves that they belong on this stage and that they are becoming a real threat in the Eastern Conference. Indiana has slayed some giants this year in the regular season, but none mightier than the Celtics on a huge stage like the In-Season Tournament. The Pacers were heavy underdogs then. Can they pull off another Houdini act for the second time around? Well, if there's one thing Tyrese Haliburton and company have proven this season, it would not be smart to count out his team. As such, we predict the Pacers to continue its Cinderella run and take down the Bucks in the In-Season Tournament semifinals.