In a match between two formidable offenses, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 150-145 on Monday, putting on their best scoring performance in 37 years.
The Four Lakers Stars
In what was the team’s highest-scoring game of the season, four players for the Lakers—led by superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis—scored at least 25 points. With 36 points, 16 rebounds, and a solid 15 of 21 shooting from the field, Davis led the way. In addition to Austin Reaves’ 25 points, which included six free throws in the last minute to help seal the victory, James and Spencer Dinwiddie both scored 26 points.
These four players, according to the NBA, are the only four teammates to score 25 points or more in a span of more than three years. They are also the first Lakers teammates to do so since 1971.
A Look At The Quarters
After the first quarter, Indiana led by six points. However, LA’s offensive surge in the second and third quarters alone saw the club score 86 points.
“We were very sharp offensively,” James remarked after the game. “We cleaned it up in the second half, but we had some turnovers in the first quarter and first half.”
Conversely, the Pacers, who saw their squad come up short despite a late-quarter comeback, saw all five of their starters and eight players score in double figures. With the second-highest offensive rating in the league right now, Indiana has had one of the greatest offenses in the league the whole season.
A Terrible Defense
Davis bemoaned his team’s defensive effort despite the game’s free-scoring format. After the game, Davis remarked, “It was terrible defensively; we let them score 145.”
They made a few shots in the closing moments, but as you saw tonight, we are capable of attacking, too. But, we must play defense, particularly against a team that is struggling. A win is a win at this point in the season, however, we don’t have to give them life. We accept it, but we also need to draw lessons from it.
When All-Star Tyrese Haliburton hit two triples in the last 30 seconds of the game, the Pacers rallied from a 19-point deficit to narrow the deficit to just three points, nearly making the Lakers pay for their flimsy defense.
Pacers’ Coach Expresses Satisfaction
Although Indiana’s late surge proved to be insufficient, head coach Rick Carlisle expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“Our guys don’t do that, but sometimes it’s easy to drop your head and just say, ‘Hey, it’s not our night,’ when you have difficult challenges,” he added. In the second half, our second unit engaged in combat. When the first unit returned during the final five minutes, they were determined to stay in the game. You have to perform flawlessly at one point, and it was going to be extremely challenging. The difference in the number of foul calls between the two teams did not please Carlisle either.
There were just some obstacles that could not be surmounted. One is a differential of 27 free throws, and the other is a differential of 17 fouls, the speaker stated.
The Lakers Move Forward With A Remarkable Win
With 36 points and 12 rebounds, mid-season trade acquisition Pascal Siakam led the Pacers in scoring. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard followed with 20 and 15 points, respectively, as the Pacers dropped to 40-32, good for sixth place in the Eastern Conference at the moment.
In the meantime, the Purple and Gold secured their third straight victory, improving to 39-32, holding the ninth seed in the Western Conference and a berth in the playoff play-in tournament. The Lakers will now head out on a six-game road trip with the goal of strengthening their seeding and guaranteeing an automatic postseason berth as the season draws to a close.
Follow Us:
Youtube | Google News |
Igniteds is on YouTube; click here to subscribe for the latest videos and updates.
