The Los Angeles Lakers once again got off to a slow start as the Indiana Pacers used a 3-point barrage to push out to a double-digit lead, which they held throughout most of the night. But Anthony Davis and LeBron James led a late fourth quarter push and the Lakers were able to steal the contest.
Davis finished with 31 points and 14 rebounds while James added 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists as the Lakers outscored Indiana by 13 in the fourth quarter to come away with a 112-111 victory. The win was their second consecutive victory as the Lakers now sit at 25-28 and 2-2 on their road trip with one game remaining. With his 26 points, LeBron is now just 63 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
The Lakers did not lead until a LeBron 3-pointer put them up two points with just 2:35 remaining. The two teams then traded the lead back and forth before a tough Davis fadeaway gave the Lakers the final lead. He would then follow that with an outstanding block on Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers had one last chance to get another buzzer-beating victory over the Lakers, but Buddy Hield’s shot was off and the Lakers escaped.
On the same night he was not named an All-Star reserve, Davis put forth his best performance since returning from injury. Davis made plays on both ends of the court and continues to inch closer to looking like the player who dominated prior to going down with the foot issue.
The Lakers fell behind early thanks to the Pacers making 12 3-pointers in the first half. But the Lakers were able to clamp down in the final two periods, holding Indiana to just four in the second half. The Lakers also made up for the 3-point deficit by outscoring the Pacers by 12 in the paint and by 17 at the free-throw line. The Lakers also grabbed 13 offensive rebounds, converting them to 18 second chance points.
Russell Westbrook struggled with his shot, hitting just 2-of-16 from the field to finish with 10 points, but also added 10 assists. Dennis Schroder added 12 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Thomas Bryant contributed 10 points off the bench.
The Pacers were led by Tyrese Haliburton in his first game back from injury and fresh off being named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The third-year guard finished with 26 points and 12 assists for the Pacers who have now lost four straight and 11 of their last 12 games.
Next up for the Lakers
The Lakers will finish up their five-game road trip on Sunday in New Orleans before returning home for a pair of games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Milwaukee Bucks.
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