The Los Angeles Lakers entered tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers on a three-game losing streak but managed to return to winning ways with a 120-119 triumph on the night.
The game was sealed by LeBron James’ incredible buzzer-beater, ending the night with 13 points (4-12 FG) and 13 rebounds. While he got the game-winning moment, the man who carried the Lakers to that point was Luka Doncic, who put up 34 points (11-21 FG), seven rebounds, and seven assists. Austin Reaves chipped in 24 points (8-16 FG) and five assists, while Rui Hachimura had 14 points (4-5 FG).
The Pacers saw Bennedict Mathurin off the bench put up 23 points (7-16 FG) in a team-leading performance. Two starters had 16-point double-doubles as Myles Turner (6-9 FG) also grabbed 12 rebounds, while Tyrese Haliburton (7-16 FG) dished out 18 assists in the loss. Andrew Nembhard also had 16 points (6-9 FG) with seven rebounds in the loss.
Let’s take a deeper look at this game and analyze its major takeaways.
LeBron James Shows Up When Needed
LeBron James was in the midst of arguably the worst game he’s had this season. Through the first three quarters, James had just three points, all scored from the free throw line, as he was a shocking 0-6 from the field. LeBron has a 10-point streak older than many of you reading this article, stretching back to 2006, so many people started wondering if this iconic NBA streak would end.
James would prove everyone wrong in the fourth quarter by scoring 10 points in that period alone to help the Lakers seal this win. The buzzer-beater is what everyone will remember, but James’ command over the floor, despite the putrid game he was having, was shocking to see. The Pacers simply didn’t have an answer for him in the fourth quarter and have to be pissed they didn’t box him out before the game-winner.
The Lakers don’t rely on LeBron to do everything for them on the court. They rely on him for big moments like this, and he delivered wholeheartedly to bring home a very important win, which keeps the Lakers alive in the mix for the No. 2 seed in the West.
A Tense Offensive Clash
This game was actually a terrific watch, with both teams scoring efficiently and freely to put on a great contest. Most Pacers games are great to watch, but the added competitive tension of this clash alongside superstars like LeBron and Luka Doncic on the court, made the stakes feel much higher.
In what appeared to many fans as a genuine Playoff-caliber game, the Lakers sealed the win by shooting slightly better as a team. The Lakers went 41-79 (51.9 FG%) from the field and 17-38 (44.7 3P%) from the three in this win, an extremely efficient offensive display by the franchise.
The Pacers weren’t far behind, going 44-87 (50.6 FG%) and 15-36 (41.7 3P%) over the course of the game. Despite creating more turnovers and shot opportunities, the Pacers couldn’t make the most of their opportunities because they couldn’t consistently get stops on the Lakers outside the second half.
The Lakers scored 68 points in the first half but only 52 in the second, with the Pacers ultimately giving themselves too tall of a mountain to climb in the second half, although they did actually almost climb it.
Luka Doncic Is Looking Like His Best Version Again
The most exciting part of what’s been happening with the Lakers is that it seems Luka Doncic has regained his incredible baseline of production. He seemingly walked to 34 points on above 50% shooting today, with Doncic looking more and more like the version of him we saw compete for MVPs on the Dallas Mavericks.
Doncic has taken the reins from LeBron as the team’s No. 1 offensive option, already being called a ball-hog for embracing this role. If what he did today is ‘hogging’ the ball, he needs to do it more often. He was scoring efficiently, creating for others, and playing with real defensive intent, continuing a trend we’ve seen all month of Doncic as a motivated defender.
This is close to the version of Luka we saw slicing and dicing the NBA en route to an NBA Finals appearance last season. He’s averaging 30.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists over the last 5 games, showing that he can be the biggest x-factor in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
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