The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers took the floor Friday night for the first time since the all-star break. The Lakers’ absence of big men Anthony Davis and Marc Gasol continued, causing others to have to step up. Davis, who has missed significant time due to a calf strain, will be re-evaluated in 2 weeks. After losing 5 of their last 6 before the all-star break, Indiana entered the game looking to turn a new leaf.
Both teams got off to a slow start, but Indiana went on a 7-1 run after a timeout to pick up the tempo. Malcolm Brogdon got hot midway through the first, making 3 of 3 three-pointers on his way to scoring 18 of Indiana’s 28 points in the quarter. The Lakers found themselves down by 8 at the intermission after only shooting 39-percent from the field.
Taking turns
The Lakers quickly clawed their way back into the game, however, with an 11-0 run to start the second quarter. Veteran guard Wesley Matthews started the run with a layup plus the foul for his first points in 5 games. LeBron James followed with a 3-point play of his own on the very next possession. The run put the Lakers on top, 31-28, but Indiana answered with an 8-0 run to regain control. They kept their foot on the gas while the Lakers went on their second field goal drought of over 4 minutes in the half.
Brogdon finished the half with 23 points on 9 of 13 shooting and a total of 29 points to lead all scorers. His 4 three-pointers in the first half would be the only shots from distance for Indiana. However, they nearly doubled the Lakers’ production in the paint. Despite a seemingly one-sided quarter, the Lakers trailed at the half by the same margin as after the first quarter.
Much like the second quarter, the Lakers showed new life to start the third. They quickly brought the game to within 3 points and forced Indiana to call a timeout to talk things over. A 10-0 Lakers run briefly found them in the lead but was ended by a Brogdon jumper, and Indiana soon went on another run themselves. The back-and-forth play of both teams clearly had a pattern. At the end of the third, the Lakers once again trailed by 8.
Getting over the hump
Early in the fourth, Indiana pushed their lead up to as much as 12. But let’s be real – would this game be the rollercoaster that it was if the Lakers didn’t respond with another 8-0 run? Midway through the fourth, the Lakers’ Kyle Kuzma led a surge that helped the team capture a 6-point lead. After scoring 9 points through the first 3 periods, Kuzma dropped 15 points in the fourth quarter alone.
“Defensively, we just turned it around a little bit,” Kuzma said after the game. “Our roster is constructed to be very deep… I’m just trying to be a beast defensively and a beast on the boards.”
Things were tight down the stretch, with Indiana in possession with a 3-point deficit and less than 10 seconds to play. Known for his defensive prowess, the Lakers’ Kentavious Caldwell-Pope came up big with a steal in the final possession.
“Our game plan was to switch everything before the ball was entered, and then switch everything when the ball came in,” Caldwell-Pope said about the play. The defensive scheme worked to perfection and helped the Lakers claim a 105-100 victory over Indiana.
Kuzma was the high man for the Lakers, scoring 24 points to go with 13 rebounds. James had a subpar shooting night but added 18 points and 10 dimes, while Montrezl Harrell put up an efficient 17 points. Indiana all-star Domantas Sabonis had 20 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers and Doug McDermott added 13 points.
The teams will face off once more this season on May 15th in Indiana. The Lakers will lace up next in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors Monday at 7:30 p.m. PST.
