Back when the Lakers played the Pacers in late November, Indiana rallied from 17 points down in the 4th quarter to win with a buzzer-beating three-pointer. While Thursday's game between these teams was not as dramatic, and the margins not as large, it was the Lakers who turned the tables in the final period, coming from behind to win with a dramatic play at the buzzer -- but on the defensive side of the ball -- to escape with a 112-111 victory.
For most the game, however, the Lakers did not look like they would put themselves in position to win the game at all. With Tyrese Haliburton back in the lineup after missing their previous 10 games, the Pacers played with renewed life and vigor, exemplifying their franchise name by exerting their will via an up-tempo offensive approach that put the Lakers on their heels early and kept them there.
Indiana looked to push the ball at every opportunity, using long outlets, kick ahead passes, and quick advances via the dribble to outrun a Lakers team that was just a step slower than their opponent. This led to open three-pointers and shots at the basket as the Lakers scrambled to attack shooters and either arrived too late to contest or too off-balance to contain dribble penetration when those shooters attacked the closeout.
Most of this attack was spearheaded by Haliburton, whose combination of craft, creativity, and skill with the ball triggered a 26 point, 12 assist night and a vice-like grip on the terms of engagement for the game.
Despite playing catchup in a game environment created by and catering to Indiana, the Lakers did well to stay connected enough so that the game was never entirely out of reach -- even if it could sometimes feel that way. Whenever they leveraged their superior size and strength, and played with focus and determination, the Lakers were able to get good shots in the paint and chip away at the Pacers' lead to and force them to take a timeout to try to shut down the Lakers' run.
Anthony Davis and LeBron were both critical in this all, as the Pacers did not have great answers for either player defensively. AD would finish the night with a game-high 31 points and 14 rebounds (five offensive), making 13 of his 27 attempts from the floor and all five of his free throws. Davis did miss some bunnies inside, but showed his usual level of touch and ability to make shots on the move while also showing toughness and physicality when finishing in a crowd vs. the collapsing Pacers defense.
LeBron, meanwhile, was his usual efficient self, hitting 11 of his 17 shots from the floor enroute to 26 points to go along with seven assists and seven rebounds. LeBron, as he normally is, was particularly potent scoring in the paint, using all the tools in his bag to get to the rim and finish over or around the defense.
Despite all these efforts, however, the Lakers still trailed by a dozen points heading into the fourth quarter, with every run they made being countered by the Pacers with a flurry of their own. But in that final frame, things did start to shift. Because all the force and focus the Lakers showed in spurts through the first three quarters became commonplace in the 4th, and on both sides of the ball.
Led by Patrick Beverley's on ball defense, Anthony Davis protecting the rim on the back end, and the entire team attacking the defensive glass, the Lakers were able to generate key stops they needed. Beverley was especially impactful defending Haliburton in this stretch, using his physicality to get over the top of screens and even forcing an on-ball steal that was originally called foul, but was overturned after a coach's challenge.
Then on other end, the Lakers used that same force and physicality to bully their way into the paint to either score, get offensive rebounds, or draw fouls to get to the foul line to get all the way back into the game, culminating with a deep LeBron three-pointer to complete the comeback and give the Lakers their first lead of the game.
With both teams scratching out points over the next two minutes, the game would come down to a couple of final defensive possessions.
The first found AD isolated at the top of the floor against Haliburton, who was looking to attack off the dribble to get to the paint and finish around the Lakers' big man. AD, though, was able to slide his feet to stick with Haliburton as he drove, time his jump perfectly to contest the shot, and then swat the ball -- while keeping it inbounds -- enabling the Lakers to recover the ball.
After running a few seconds off the clock, Beverley went to the free throw line with a chance to put the Lakers up three, but he missed both to setup one last offensive possession for the Pacers. Indiana eventually got the ball into Buddy Hield drifting into the corner, but after an improvised trap stifled any initial shot attempt, a well contest heave drew iron, but fell off the rim into the hands of a swooping-in Anthony Davis at the buzzer.
The Lakers, then, won a game where resiliency, guile, and an excellent defensive fourth quarter where they held the Pacers to only 15 points carried them across the finish line. The win lifts them to 2-2 on their current road trip with a chance to close out the trip with a winning record when they play the Pelicans on Saturday.