The Phoenix Suns secured the West's wild card spot for the inaugural NBA 2023-24 in-season tournament.

Phoenix, the No. 4 seed and runner-up in the A group, will play the winner of that pool and Pacific Division rival Los Angeles Lakers.

The Suns, who have arguably the NBA's best star trio with Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, will not have Beal, who is sidelined with a lower back strain, per the team.

Phoenix will have Booker, who is averaging 27.9 points, 8.4 assists and 5.9 rebounds, and Durant, who at age 35 is still playing elite basketball and averaging the third-most points (31.0) per game while shooting 51.2 percent and 49.4 percent from three.

Here are four bold predictions for the Suns' quarterfinal game against the Lakers. The winner advances to the semifinal round on Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Devin Booker will have 13-plus assists

Booker said after the Suns' 116-109 win over the Memphis Grizzlies he and Durant are a good combination.

“I'm the point guard, he's the scorer,” Booker told Arizona's Family post game.

Booker in the 11 games he has appeared in would be tied with Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks for fifth in assists per game (8.4). Booker has missed eight games so he does not qualify for league leaders, which is 80 percent of the games (16 since the Suns have played 20 so far).

In the 11 games Booker has played, the Suns are 9-2.

Here is what Booker told ClutchPoints' Trevor Booth about his playmaking following the Grizzlies contest at home, which is when Booker returned after he missed Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets due to a right ankle sprain.

Kevin Durant will have four or more turnovers

Durant is having an effective season. He kept the Suns afloat and arguably should be a top-3 MVP candidate.

Durant played in each of the Suns' two games against the Lakers. He averaged 38.5 points but also six turnovers.

Durant will have Booker so he won't have to create and rely on the Suns' bench players to make shots in order to keep double- and triple-teams away from him. Los Angeles forced eight turnovers in Durant's valiant 39-point effort in the Lakers' 100-95 win — when the Suns were without Booker and Beal, who is yet to play since Phoenix's 111-99 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder Nov. 12.

However, he will be defended closely and keyed in on by the Lakers in an important game.

LeBron James will be limited to fewer than 20 points

Phoenix is coached by Frank Vogel, who led James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers to the 2019-20 NBA championship.

Vogel knows how challenging it is to plan against James and Davis, who is probable for Tuesday's game. James is listed as questionable with a left calf contusion.

The Suns will lose by 15 or more points

Phoenix is looking to advance to the semifinals of the NBA in-season tournament Thursday in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Suns would have a championship Saturday at T-Mobile Arena.

Los Angeles is looking to win a championship and has a roster around Davis and James that fits well. The Lakers won on the road against the Suns, 122-119, in the first game for each team in the pool stage.

James is one of the NBA's best performers in elimination/single-game playoff scenarios. Durant is, too, and it could be the last time we see each of these players in a high-stakes type of contest.

Los Angeles will go on a third-quarter run and have a lead insurmountable by the fourth quarter, when the Suns struggled in the group stage game. Phoenix has also had some blown fourth-quarter leads this year and is yet to find a rhythm for closing big games.

The Suns and Lakers play at 8 p.m. MT. The game will be televised by TNT.