Pacers Fail To Close Game On The Road Vs. Lakers

The Indiana Pacers fell to 13-22 on the season after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers by a final score of 88-87.

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Lakers were able to pull off an 88-87 victory over the Indiana Pacers tonight after trailing for the majority of the game. It was a great game all the way through, but Indiana simply couldn’t find a way to close the Lakers out late in the second half.

Roy Hibbert and Carlos Boozer got into a heated altercation in the second half, after Boozer shoved Hibbert to the floor. It added to the intensity of the game for both teams, and made the end of the game even more fun to watch.

Indiana fell to 13-22 on the season with the loss, and took another step backwards from the eighth and final playoff spot. They had won two straight games coming into tonight, but this loss is extremely disappointing after they led by double digits for a good portion of the game. Kobe Bryant hit a jump hook with 12 seconds left in the game, and Roy Hibbert missed a shot badly at the buzzer to finish the night.

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C.J. Miles once again led the Pacers in scoring with 19 points on just 7-18 shooting. He knocked down just 3-9 from behind the three-point arc, and couldn’t seem to buy a basket in the fourth quarter when the Pacers needed him the most. Donald Sloan also played a huge game for Indiana, scoring 16 points to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds.

Hibbert put up a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, while David West scored 11 points to go along with eight rebounds on the night. Both Rodney Stuckey and Solomon Hill scored 10 points each to round out the double figure scorers for the Pacers.

Los Angeles was led by Nick Young, who came off the bench to score 22 points on the night. He was the main factor in the Lakers’ comeback to tie the game up, and nailed 12-12 from the free-throw line. Kobe Bryant came through with a big game as well and played the role of closer for the Lakers, scoring 20 points to go along with six rebounds and six assists.

Carlos Boozer came off of the bench to score 12 points, while Ed Davis scored 11 points to go along with six rebounds. The only other double digit scorer for the Lakers was Jeremy Lin, who came off of the bench to score 10 points.

Now, the Pacers will look ahead to their next game on the road against the Utah Jazz on Monday night.