LA Lakers post highest point total since 1987 in historic scoring night against Indiana Pacers
On Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers achieved their highest-scoring game in 37 years, defeating the Indiana Pacers 150-145 in a clash between two high-scoring teams.
Led by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Lakers had four players who contributed at least 25 points, making it their highest-scoring game of the season.
Davis showed exceptional performance as the top scorer with 36 points and 16 rebounds, shooting an impressive 15-of-21 from the field. James and Spencer Dinwiddie each added 26 points, while Austin Reaves contributed 25 points, including six successful free throws in the final minute to secure the win.
According to the NBA, these four players became the first quartet of teammates to each score 25+ points in over three years, and the first Lakers teammates to achieve this feat since 1971.
Although the Pacers held a six-point lead after the first quarter, the Lakers displayed an offensive explosion in the second and third quarters, tallying 86 points during that time.
“We executed our offense very effectively,” James commented after the game. “We had some turnovers in the first half, but we improved in the second half.”
All five starters of the Pacers and a total of eight players scored in double figures. They mounted a late comeback in the fourth quarter but narrowly fell short. The Pacers have been one of the league’s top offensive teams this season and currently hold the second-best offensive rating in the league.
“We faced off against the Pacers in the championship game of the In-Season Tournament, and we are well aware of the firepower of their offense,” stated James. “They never stop playing, regardless of the score. Therefore, this is a significant win for us.”
Despite the high-scoring nature of the game, Davis expressed disappointment in the Lakers’ defensive performance.
“We allowed them to score 145 points, so defensively, it was subpar,” Davis admitted. “They made some shots towards the end, but we need to focus on our defense, especially when we have a team in a dire situation like that. We shouldn’t give them momentum. Nonetheless, at this stage of the season, a win is a win. We’ll take it, but we need to learn from our mistakes.”
The Lakers nearly paid the price for their weak defense as the Pacers reduced a 19-point deficit to a mere three points in the final 30 seconds of the game, courtesy of two three-pointers from All-Star Tyrese Haliburton.
However, the late surge proved insufficient for the Pacers, and head coach Rick Carlisle commended his team’s effort.
“Sometimes, when faced with challenges, it’s easy to give up and accept that it’s not our night, but our players don’t do that,” he remarked. “Our second unit fought hard in the second half. In the last five minutes, the first unit returned and they were determined to stay in the game. At a certain point, flawless execution becomes necessary, and that was going to be exceedingly difficult.”
Carlisle also expressed dissatisfaction with the disparity in foul calls between the two teams.
“There were certain things that were impossible to overcome. A 27 free throw differential is one, and a 17-foul differential is another,” he explained.
Pascal Siakam, who was acquired in a mid-season trade, led the Pacers in scoring with 36 points and 12 rebounds. Myles Turner and Andrew Nembhard contributed 20 and 15 points respectively. With this loss, the Pacers now have a 40-32 record, currently placing them sixth in the Eastern Conference.
On the other hand, the Lakers won their third consecutive game, bringing their record to 39-32. They currently hold the ninth seed in the Western Conference and are in a position to participate in the postseason Play-In Tournament. As the season comes to a close, the Lakers will embark on a six-game road trip, aiming to improve their seeding and secure an automatic playoff berth.