INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 29: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Indiana Pacers on March 24, 2024 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2024 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant /NBAE via Getty Images)
Pascal Siakam finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds, Tyrese Haliburton added 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds and the Indiana Pacers beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-90 on Friday night in a pivotal game for both teams' playoff aspirations.
Indiana has won four of six to retain the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, with the latest victory giving Rick Carlisle career win No. 938 to tie Red Auerbach for 12th in NBA history.
Injured All-Stars LeBron James (left ankle) and Anthony Davis (left knee) both started and played like perennial All-Stars as the Lakers tried to improve their playoff positioning from the No. 9 seed in the West.
Davis finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, while James had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Austin Reaves added 16 points and 13 rebounds on a night the Lakers went 5 of 29 on 3-pointers and committed 16 turnovers, five by James.
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The stakes — and the early up-tempo pace — created an entertaining and sometimes sloppy contest.
But after losing to the Lakers 123-109 in the final of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament and 150-145 last Sunday in Los Angeles, Indiana flipped the script on an old nemesis.
The Pacers led for nearly all of the final 39 minutes. They took an 86-70 lead late in the third, fended off each of the Lakers' charges early in the fourth and used a 17-3 spurt to clinch their first winning season since 2020-21.
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Lakers: Make the fourth stop of a six-game road trip Sunday at Brooklyn.
Pacers: Face the Nets on Monday in the first of the two games in three days.
