On Monday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers started a four-game road trip in Indiana with a loss, 110-100.
Five different Pacers scored in double figures, led by Myles Turner scoring a team-high 21 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Victor Oladipo finished the night with 20 points, while Thaddeus Young converted nine of his first 10 field goal attempts for 18 points, nine rebounds and four assists in the win.
To start the game, the Lakers looked sharp and pushed the basketball up the court with fluidity. In the flash of an eye, Lonzo Ball collected six assists within the first eight minutes of the game, and the visitors looked to be rolling. Ball ultimately finished the night with eight assists in total, hinting at how the game progressed after the Lakers' fast start.
At their height, the Lakers led by 12 points in the final minute of the first quarter.
Brook Lopez and Kyle Kuzma, in particular, seemed like they were in the mood to attack on the offensive end. Lopez finished the game with 23 points, eight rebounds and three assists, while Kuzma tabbed a game-high 27 points, along with eight rebounds.
Unfortunately, the Lakers failed to close the first quarter, and the 12-point lead evaporated to eight points by the start of the start of the second quarter. Over the second and third quarters, Indiana took hold of the contest and changed the narrative of the night by outscoring the Lakers 63-43.
Starting from final minute of the first quarter and going until the first two minutes of the fourth quarter, the Pacers outscored the Lakers by 26 points over 27 minutes to turn a 10-point deficit into a 16-point lead.
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If one had to point to a single quarter, LA seemingly lost the game in the third quarter, when Oladipo, Young and Lance Stevenson led the home team in an onslaught that finished with a 35-point quarter for the Pacers and a 21-point quarter for the visitors.
By the time the fourth quarter came around, the Lakers trailed by 12 points and faced a mountain to climb. Almost immediately, the difference jumped to 16 points, and the result was no longer in doubt. Only the final score had not yet been determined.
LA cut the margin to single digits momentarily, but the Lakers never truly threatened the Pacers in the fourth quarter, and Indiana cruised to a 10-point victory.
With the defeat, the Lakers fell to 31-39 on the season. Meanwhile, Indiana improved to 41-30.
Notes: Julius Randle continued his strong play for the Lakers with 21 points, nine rebounds and three assists in the loss. Isaiah Thomas struggled with his shot for the second game in a row, starting 1/6 from the field. Thomas eventually finished shooting 4/14 for 11 points, three rebounds and three assists. Stephenson's 16 points off the bench outscored all of the Lakers' reserves combined.
