NBA: LeBron’s Clutch Buzzer-Beater Powers Lakers Past Pacers
LeBron James scored the winning basket with a last-second tip-in layup, leading the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to a narrow 120-119 win against the Indiana Pacers in the NBA on Wednesday.
James, who only connected on a field goal in the final quarter, ended up scoring 13 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and dishing out seven assists for the Lakers (44-28). This win put an end to their three-game skid.
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Down by three with five minutes to go, Los Angeles embarked on an 11-2 scoring spree capped off by a triple from Rui Hachimura at the 1:51 mark. However, the Pacers responded with seven consecutive points, highlighted by a Tyrese Haliburton three-point play, which gave them an 119-118 advantage with just 42 seconds left on the clock.
Following Benedict Mathurin’s missed three-point shot, Luka Dončić’s unsuccessful floaters were followed up and scored by James as time expired.
Dončić recorded 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists for Los Angeles, with Austin Reaves contributing 24 points and Hachimura adding 14.
In Indiana’s game (42-30), they were spearheaded by Mathurin who scored 23 points from the bench and Haliburton contributing 16 points along with 18 assists. Myles Turner added 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for Indiana, whose five-game win streak came to an end, while Andrew Nembhard ended up scoring 16 points as well.
Down by 13 points at halftime, Indiana narrowed their gap to just seven thanks to Turner’s three-pointer. Later, Doncic extended the Lakers’ lead with a layup, making it 83-73. However, an impressive 13-5 run by the Pacers, concluded with back-to-back threes from Mathurin and Aaron Nesmith, brought Indiana within striking distance, trailing only by two points.
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Nembhard’s score during Indiana’s last chance gave the Pacers a 95-92 disadvantage heading into the final period.
James’ initial two successful field goals occurred during successive possessions early in the final quarter, cutting Indiana’s lead to just nine points, 101-92. He extended this streak by adding another four points afterward. However, Mathurin responded with eight points for Indiana, contributing significantly to their 13-0 scoring spree which tied the match at 105 all with 6:05 left on the clock.
A little more than a minute afterward, Turner’s three-pointer handed the Pacers their initial lead since the start of the second quarter’s first minutes.
Indiana held a 33-28 advantage heading into the second quarter, however, the Lakers responded with a 15-0 surge at the start of the period. A three-point play by Nembhard halted the bleeding for Indiana momentarily; yet, Reaves proceeded to score 10 out of the Lakers’ subsequent 12 points, enabling Los Angeles to take a commanding 55-43 lead just before the halfway point of the game.
Mathurin contributed the last six points for the Pacers in the first half, however, Jaxson Hayes’ slam with 11 seconds left allowed the Lakers to take a 68-55 advantage into halftime.
–Field Level Media