Despite a fairly comfortable lead in the first half of the game, the Indiana Pacers let the Los Angeles Lakers gain confidence to finally escape Thursday night’s game 112-111 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
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With the Pacers, Quebecer Bennedict Mathurin delivered one of his worst performances of the season. The 20-year-old had five points while shooting just three baskets, including one from downtown. The Montrealer added four rebounds on the floor in 20 minutes.
It is his second-lowest score of the 2022-23 season. On Jan. 8, Mathurin had just four points against the Charlotte Hornets.
The Pacers got off to a strong start and were up 13 points at halftime. That lead melted like snow in the sun, however, and the Lakers took the lead in the fourth quarter, limiting local favorites to 15 points.
LeBron James is a man on a mission trying to overtake the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the top scorer in NBA history. “King James” added 26 points to his tally against Indiana, just 63 points off the best.
Center Anthony Davis did even better than his famous teammate with a double-double of 31 points and 14 rebounds.
This is the fourth straight loss for the Pacers (24-29). The Lakers (25-28), meanwhile, are back on track with a second straight win.