At 30-19, the fans had high expectations for the Lakers at the Crypto.com arena tonight. Despite the absence of LeBron James and Luka Doncic, the energy in the rebuilding was electric and it helped power the Lakers to an impressive win over the Indiana Pacers (124-117).
The Lakers set the tone early with a 44-point explosion in the first quarter. They were up by 22 points after the first 12 minutes and they maintained that lead through the rest of the game. At several points, the Pacers tried to come back with a run of their own but it was never enough to get the win and swing the momentum back in their favor.
 Austin Reaves was the leading scorer of the game with 45 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists on 53.8% shooting. Rui Hachimura stepped up with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 steal in 33 minutes. Off the bench, Trey Jemison III dropped 8 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist on 80% shooting.
For the Pacers, Tyrese Haliburton put up 19 points, 2 rebounds, and 9 assists on 46.7% shooting. Pascal Siakam finished with 23 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists while Benedict Mathurin put up 16 points and 5 rebounds on 41.7% shooting.
The Lakers are still very much in a state of transition as they wait for their newest arrivals to make their debut. But tonight they were still able to pick up a key win against a talented young team. Overall, it was a solid showing from the Lakers’ supporting cast and a great sign of things to come.
Austin Reaves Answered The Call
it’s hard for any team to win without their best players but the Lakers pulled it off tonight thanks to Austin Reaves, who stepped up as the leader both on the court and in the locker room. In 39 minutes tonight, he dropped 43 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals on 14-25 shooting.
Reaves made a huge impact with his shooting and shot-making, going a team-high +17 in 39 minutes on the floor. The Pacers had no answers for Reaves in the backcourt and his exceptional shooting kept the Lakers in control for pretty much the entire game.
For a team that needs a lot of support and production from the role-players, Reaves played his role to perfection tonight and stepped up exactly when he needed to. When Luka and LeBron return to the fold, his role will no doubt change but he’s already proven himself as an effective and versatile teammate this season.
Dominant Rim Presence
The Lakers have some help on the way in the form of Luka Doncic and Mark Williams but they are currently short on big men after parting with Anthony Davis. Tonight, Jaxson Hayes got the start and the Pacers expected the Lakers’ frontcourt to collapse under the pressure.
Instead, the Lakers dominated the paint, outscoring the Pacers with 16 points (58-42) inside. The Lakers also won the rebounding battle, totaling 46 to the Pacers’ 38. Somehow, even without Davis, the Lakers won the game with their usual methods: controlling the paint and elite defense under the rim.
Surprisingly, the Lakers only made 11 threes tonight and they are short on shooters right now given the recent series of events. But if the frontcourt can step up like they did tonight on both ends of the floor, it will create the perfect environment for Luka Doncic to thrive.
Strong Defense Effort
As many Lakers fans noted after the game, the vibes are immaculate for this group right now. Amid all the chaos of the NBA trade deadline, they rallied together to give their maximum effort defensively. The result was an inspiring performance that moved the Lakers up to the 4th seed in the West.
The Pacers, who are run by the offensive genius Tyrese Haliburton, were held to 117 points on 42.5% shooting. They went just 12-38 from three and only had one player score at least 20 points or more.
Thanks to high effort, positive energy, and key defensive plays down the stretch, the Lakers managed to keep the Pacers at bay even despite a huge run toward the end of the game. Only time will tell how the defense will look with Mark Williams on the team.
At 31-19 this season, the Lakers have a chance to pull off something special and they believe they can make it happen this year with Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves at the helm. Tonight, they showed that they have the depth to make some noise in the west and when the full team finally comes together, it will be a sight to behold.
Luka Doncic is slated to return on Monday, February 10 at 10:30 PM EST against the Utah Jazz at the Crypto.com arena. After that, the Lakers head to Salt Lake City to face the Jazz on the road at 9:00 PM EST. The Lakers don’t play again until after the All-Star break, on February 19 against the Charlotte Hornets at 10:00 PM EST.
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