After a frustrating loss against the Nuggets, the Lakers respond by beating the Pacers 128-117.
The game began with Jay Huff draining a 3-pointer for the Pacers. Rui Hachimura responded with a triple on the other end. Each team’s offense was strong, with both shooting 50%. Indiana was leading by two at the 6:32 mark.
Huff was leading the Pacers with five points, and Luka Dončić had eight for the Lakers.
LA started missing shots, which allowed Indiana to go up by four, before Luka helped the team wake
up offensively with a 10-0 scoring run. Luka took over the quarter, draining all five of his shots from behind the arc. He ended the quarter with 22 points.
At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by eight. The scoring run expanded to 18-6.
The second period began with Indiana scoring six in a row. Jake LaRavia scored on a floater in the paint, giving the Lakers their first field goal of the quarter. The Pacers called a timeout after Jarred Vanderbilt stole the ball and passed to a wide-open Jaxson Hayes for the dunk.
Out of the break, Indiana missed, but stole the ball from the Lakers on the other end, and it led to a dunk from Quenton Jackson.
Vanderbilt was having a monster rebounding game with seven, the most of any Laker in the half. LA’s defense was failing them as they continued to allow the Pacers plenty of easy dunks, and they had 28 points in the paint.
Luka kicked it into high gear once again, scoring five points, pushing his point total to 27 for the half with five minutes left to go. Luke Kennard had eight off the bench and was a perfect two for two from behind the arc.
With 3:25 left until halftime, LA was up by five.
Marcus Smart drained two corner threes in a row, helping extend Los Angeles’s lead to double figures. LA went into halftime on a 13-2 scoring run and a lead of 13.
Pascal Siakam was left wide-open for an easy dunk to start the third period. Andrew Nembhard scored two buckets in a row for five points. He was up to 17 points for the Pacers. Hachimura drained his second triple of the night and was the second Laker in double figures with 11 points.
At the 6:50 mark, LA was up by 10.
The Lakers built up their lead to 14 on a 9-2 scoring run. Luka was filling up the stat sheet, netting two blocks in this quarter. Siakam was leading the Pacers with 22 points. Los Angeles continued to dominate the rest of the quarter with Luka knocking down a 3-pointer that banked off the backboard.
Going into the fourth period, LA was up by 19.
The Lakers opened the final frame with back-to-back turnovers that led to four straight points for Indiana. LA then retook control of the game, building a massive lead. Reaves also entered double figures and fouled out late in the quarter. Los Angeles then emptied their bench at the 3:42 mark.
Key Player Stats
Luka scored 22 of his 44 points in the first quarter. He also finished with nine rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks. Reaves had 19 points with two rebounds and five assists. Hachimura pitched in with 13 points and three rebounds.
Smart notched 11 points with three rebounds and three assists. Hayes had nine points with four rebounds and two assists. Kennard ended with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the New York Knicks on Sunday at 12:30 PM PT.
You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.
