INDIANAPOLIS — The Lakers were due for the type of game they had in their 109-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Friday.
A night when the shots they usually hit don’t fall. When each turnover is even more costly. When the heavy legs from what’s already become a long road trip show themselves.
When the energy is simply lacking.
The Lakers (41-33) were on the receiving end of all of it against the Pacers (42-33) – a team they’ve had great offensive success against in previous matchups this season, but they didn’t on Friday night.
“We were running in mud a little bit,” Coach Darvin Ham said. “Third game, four nights. You come here and it’s like the Indy 500 as fast as they play. It’s a combination of a lot of different factors. We got out of rhythm a little bit. And so, a lot of shots came up against the clock.
“But overall, we’ve been playing some great basketball. We’ll get our treatments, we’ll get our nutrition, our recovery going, and be ready to bounce back on Sunday.”
The Lakers, who have been one of the NBA’s best offensive teams over the last couple of months, struggled from the opening tip, eventually ending their season-best five-game win streak.
They didn’t score more than 25 points in any quarter, with their 90 points being the fewest they scored in a game this season – and 60 fewer than they had in Sunday’s victory over the Pacers in Los Angeles.
“Offensively we didn’t have it going,” said LeBron James, who had 16 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists but five of the team’s 16 turnovers. “Obviously we shot horribly from the 3. We’ve been shooting the ball exceptionally well from the outside over the last few months. Just [Friday], we didn’t have it.”
Anthony Davis, who was available after missing Wednesday’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies because of a hyperextended left knee, finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds but appeared to still be battling through the knee ailment.
“Still sore,” Davis said. “Took me awhile to kinda get into the game because … I’ll be all right.”
Davis added: “Get better in a couple of days. Nothing serious. That’s why I played [Friday]. I felt like I could play through it. Nothing that I plan to miss any more games for or have to be on a minutes restriction or anything like that.”
Austin Reaves had 16 points, 13 rebounds and six assists, but also had five turnovers as Indiana turned the 16 Laker turnovers in 16 points.
“It’s just careless,” James said. “You got to be able to focus and play through it and understand it’s three in four nights, but it’s no excuse. No excuse for uncharacteristic and unforced turnovers. Some of them you’re trying to make a play to a teammate or whatever and it gets batted down or it’s an attack turnover, you can be OK with those but some of the unforced ones, you’re not. You can never be OK with that.”
Rui Hachimura added 14 points. D’Angelo Russell struggled, finishing with just six points on 3-for-14 shooting to go with five assists.
The Lakers shot 40.7% from the field (35 for 86) and just 16.7% from 3-point range (5 for 30), with their shooting accuracy from behind the arc their second-worst mark of the season.
They trailed for nearly the entire game after taking an early lead, including 27-24 at the end of the first quarter, 54-49 at halftime and 86-72 going into the fourth.
The Lakers made a comeback attempt, cutting their deficit to eight points early in the fourth and seven (90-83) after Davis made a pair of free throws following a flagrant foul. But they didn’t get any closer as the Pacers used a 17-5 run to secure the win.
Ham pulled his starters with 2:08 remaining after a Tyrese Haliburton 3-pointer gave the Pacers a 107-88 lead – the Pacers’ largest lead of the night to that point.
Haliburton finished with 21 points and eight assists. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 22 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
The Lakers defeated the Pacers, 123-109, in the inaugural In-Season Tournament title game in December.
"We didn't have the energy that we've had in the last few weeks." LeBron James on the loss to the Pacers. pic.twitter.com/CMGwEJwNX7
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 30, 2024
Darvin Ham: "I thought we were running in mud a little bit. Third game, four nights… it's a combination of a couple different factors… Just didn't have a lot of pop on the offensive side of things." pic.twitter.com/PWm9b4Oudy
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 30, 2024
Anthony Davis: "I think it’s the way we lost tonight that is a wasted opportunity.” pic.twitter.com/7swXtc9Pa3
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 30, 2024