Road-weary Lakers close out 6-game trip with win over Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS — The Lakers beating the Pacers 137-130 on Wednesday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse wasn’t a surprise. 

And considering the Pacers have the NBA’s worst record, the final margin shouldn’t have been a surprise, either. 

But the Lakers’ fatigue from the six-game, 11-day trip that ended Wednesday was evident before tipoff.

The Lakers’ LeBron James scored 23 points in the team’s road victory against the Pacers on Wednesday. NBAE via Getty Images

And even though the Pacers have been struggling, the backbone of a team that played in the NBA Finals just nine months ago is still present with its grit and hustle.

But LeBron James’ message entering Wednesday was clear: Even though everybody was tired and wanted to get home, they still had business to take care of.

And that’s exactly what the Lakers did — even though the Pacers cut it close at the end, trimming their deficit to six points after the Lakers led by as many as 29 in the third quarter. 

Luka Doncic led the team with 43 points, seven assists and six rebounds.

James had a near triple-double with 23 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

Jaxson Hayes, who started in place of Deandre Ayton, had his first double-double of the season with season highs of 21 points and 10 rebounds to go with a pair of blocked shots and steals. 

Austin Reaves added 25 points and eight assists.

What it means

The Lakers improved to 47-26 with Wednesday’s victory. 

They also maintained the league’s fifth-best winning percentage in away games, having a 24-14 record on the road after going 5-1 on the trip. 

The Lakers haven’t lost consecutive games since their three-game losing streak Feb. 22-26. 

The Lakers’ Jaxson Hayes finished with a double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) against the host Pacers. Getty Images

Turning point

When it became clear in the first quarter that the Lakers showed up with a business-like approach.

The Pacers, who have the league’s worst record at 16-57, lost 16 straight games before beating the Magic on Monday.

But their motivations — having the best chance to secure a high draft pick in this summer’s draft — were clear before Wednesday despite their late push. 

MVP: Luka Doncic

With his performance Wednesday, Doncic recorded his league-leading 42nd game scoring at least 30 points, which is tied for eighth most in a season in franchise history. 

It also marked his 11th straight game with at least 30 points, which is tied for the longest streak of his career. He also did it from Nov. 22-Dec. 18, 2023, while playing for the Mavericks. 

Stat of the game: Six 

Wednesday was the sixth time this season Doncic has scored at least 20 points in the first quarter.

No other player has done it more than twice this season. 

Doncic scored 21 points of his eventual scoring total in the opening period to help the Lakers take a 45-28 lead going into the second quarter. 

He shot 8 of 12 from the field (3 of 5 on 3s) in the opening 12 minutes. 

Doncic also has the most 20-point quarters in the league (eight). 

Up next

The Lakers will return to Southern California for three home games before their next trip.

They host the Nets on Friday before matchups against the Wizards and Cavaliers on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.