Here is what you need to know before the Lakers finish their homestand against the Indiana Pacers.
1)
Rookie Ivica Zubac will attempt to duplicate his success from three days ago when he tallied his first career double-double in his 11th game. The 19-year-old made the most of his time on the floor against Denver, piling up 11 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks in only 26 minutes.
2)
However, Zubac’s efforts still couldn’t quite push the Lakers to victory. After trailing by as many as 19 points, Los Angeles managed to cut its deficit to one with just two minutes remaining. But that was as close as it would get as Zubac, Lou Williams (24 points) and Nick Young (22) ran out of time against the Nuggets.
3)
On the opposite end, the Pacers come to L.A. having completed a major comeback. They trailed by as many as 22 points in Sacramento Wednesday but rallied behind Paul George (24 points), Jeff Teague (22 points, 11 assists) and Al Jefferson (20 points). Eventually they toppled the Kings, 106-100, becoming the first team to rally past multiple 20-point deficits this year.
4)
That win extended a successful streak for Indiana, which has won seven of its last eight games. Over this stretch, the Pacers are third in the NBA in field goal percentage (50.7), and that hot shooting has them currently sitting in the sixth seed of the Eastern Conference.
5)
Last time these teams squared off, the Lakers held a one-point lead with two minutes left, but couldn’t hold off a red-hot Paul George. The Palmdale native scored all of Indiana’s last 12 points — and finished with 30 on the night — to lead his team to a 115-108 victory in the fourth game of the season.
6)
George has put his trademark two-way play on display this season, leading the Pacers in scoring (22.0 ppg), 3-pointers (2.3) and steals (1.8). He has also been a machine at the charity stripe, leading the league by hitting 92.8 percent of his free throw attempts (155-of-167).
7)
George isn’t the only promising star on his roster, as 20-year-old Myles Turner has already shown off a capable offensive arsenal that includes a team-best 42.9 percentage on 3-pointers. The sophomore also thrives on highlight swats on the other end, ranking fourth in the NBA with 2.38 blocks per game.
8)
Teague has put his accuracy to the test over the last two weeks, averaging 17.3 points and 10.0 assists while shooting 66.7 percent from the field over his last seven games. However, he has also been prone to missteps, committing at least three turnovers in all of his last eight contests.
9)
The Pacers have been susceptible on both sides of the glass this year. One one end, they allow opponents to extend possessions by yielding the second-most offensive rebounds (11.4). However, they don’t do this themselves, pulling down the third-fewest offensive boards (8.6).
10)
Lakers associate head coach Brian Shaw is quite familiar with this opponent, as he held the same position for the Pacers from 2011-13. In his second and final season in Indianapolis, Shaw helped George and co. push themselves to the brink of a championship appearance, but they fell to Miami in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Injury Report
Lakers: D’Angelo Russell (sore left knee), Jordan Clarkson (sprained right ankle) and Tarik Black (sprained left ankle) are probable. Luol Deng (sprained right wrist) is questionable. Larry Nance Jr. (bone bruise, left knee) is out.
Pacers: Rodney Stuckey (left hamstring) is TBD.
Tip-Off: 7:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet and Spectrum Deportes in L.A. ESPN nationally
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW