The Los Angeles Lakers have been able to reestablish some positive momentum during the final stretch of the 2023-24 season after picking up much-needed wins against the shorthanded Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers.
However, the Lakers had a tougher matchup entering Sunday night as they hosted the Indiana Pacers in a rematch of the In-Season Tournament Championship. Indiana is right in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race and needed a win to hold onto their spot as the sixth seed.
The first half was a defense-optional affair as both teams pushed the pace and raced out for easy baskets. However, Los Angeles used their huge third quarter to cover for their stressful fourth and managed to escape with their third consecutive victory, scoring 150 points for the first time since 1987.
The last time the two teams met, Anthony Davis had his biggest game of the season as he showed why he’s one of the best two-way players in the NBA. The rematch played out a lot like the first one did as Davis overwhelmed the Pacers from the opening tip.
Davis scored 15 points in the first quarter, but was limited the rest of the first half with foul trouble. However, Davis shook off the foul issues in the third quarter as he went right back to outmuscling the smaller Indiana front court.
The fourth quarter featured several plays on both ends of the floor from Davis who ensured Los Angeles walked out with a win. Davis was the best player on the floor and he showed it by scoring 36 points to go along with 12 rebounds and two assists.
D’Angelo Russell was ruled out before the game with a non-COVID illness, so head coach Darvin Ham went with Spencer Dinwiddie as the starting lead guard. Dinwiddie’s offensive game has slowly started to come along and he finally broke out with the Lakers as he had his best scoring game signing with the Lakers.
Dinwiddie finished with 26 points, shooting with confidence and playing within the flow of the offense.
Meanwhile, LeBron James and Austin Reaves scored 26 and 25 points, respectively. This gave Los Angeles four starters that scored 25 or more points which contributed to their new season-high in points with 150.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers will embark on a six-game road trip that starts with a back-to-back set on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies, respectively. They’ll then see the Pacers one more time on Friday.
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