LeBron James delivered a buzzer-beating tip-in to give the Los Angeles Lakers a dramatic 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in Indianapolis, snapping the Lakers’ three-game skid in stunning fashion.
Despite struggling through the first three quarters without a field goal, James came alive in the final period and ended the night with a near triple-double—13 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists. His game-winning play capped a wild final minute and helped the Lakers improve to 44-28 on the season.
“I just stayed locked in and tried to make a play on the ball,” James said after the game. “It’s all about effort down the stretch.”
The Lakers trailed by three with five minutes left but surged ahead on an 11-2 run. Indiana responded with seven straight points to reclaim a 119-118 lead with 42 seconds remaining. After a miss by Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, Luka Doncic couldn’t convert a floater, but James’ last-second touch proved decisive.
Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Austin Reaves added 24 points, while Rui Hachimura chipped in with 14. The win brought relief to a Lakers squad that had dropped three straight entering the contest.
Mathurin provided a spark off the bench for Indiana (42-30) with a team-high 23 points, while Tyrese Haliburton dished out 18 assists to go with 16 points. Myles Turner contributed 16 points and 12 boards, but the Pacers’ five-game winning streak came to a heartbreaking end.
In other NBA action:
Wizards 119, 76ers 114
Alex Sarr’s 24-point outing helped Washington snap a five-game losing streak with a win over Philadelphia. Justin Champagnie added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordan Poole had 18 points and seven assists. The 76ers dropped their sixth straight despite Quentin Grimes’ 22 points and a double-double from rookie Justin Edwards.
Raptors 116, Nets 86
Toronto recorded its biggest win of the season behind Orlando Robinson’s 23 points and 12 rebounds. Brooklyn’s woes continued as they fell for the 16th time in 19 games, with 20 turnovers proving costly.
Nuggets 127, Bucks 117
Nikola Jokic returned from injury with a commanding 39-point triple-double, his 30th of the season, to lead Denver past a short-handed Milwaukee team missing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.
Clippers 126, Knicks 113
James Harden and Kawhi Leonard combined for 56 points as the Clippers rode a hot shooting night to take down the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 34 points and 14 rebounds for New York, which continued to miss Jalen Brunson.
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