After leading by as much as 17 points, Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard stole a win from the Lakers with a buzzer-beating three-point shot.
“I wish we been a lot more aggressive, continue playing with pace and also continue to be organized and move the ball and that falls on me,” said Lakers head coach Darvin Ham. “Indiana is a really good team, a team with shooters everywhere and you can’t allow them to get second or third chances at open looks.”
Despite the loss, it was an impressive night for center Anthony Davis who scored 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton scored 24 points, seven rebounds, and 14 assists.
“It was kind of an open play, I think we had a shot and a rebound, got back to [Haliburton] somehow,” Nembhard said. “They left me open [Haliburton] made a good look kicked it out and I had to get it up quick.”
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Lakers forward LeBron James noted how there was a slip in coverage during the buzzer-beating play. Indiana guard Myles Turner missed a three-pointer prior to the winning shot, but Haliburton kept their possession alive with a rebound.
“With them getting an offensive rebound, we should have came up with the offensive rebound but it was a scud,” James said. “It hit off the front of the rim and flew back all the way to the three-point line.”
The Lakers created the 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter and went cold for two regulated minutes, allowing Indiana to go on a 10-point run. The offense remained slow for the Lakers and the Pacers took advantage, making an 11-3 run in two regulated minutes.
“They made some big shots,” guard Russell Westbrook said. “You can be beaten any given night and tonight we got beaten.”
A highlight of the night took place between the third and fourth quarters during the MGM Rewards Big Shot Jackpot promotion. In the promotion, a fan gets one chance to score a half-court shot to win thousands of dollars. Jamie Murray,24, of Downey scored the shot and won $75,000.
Murray became the first winner of the MGM Rewards Big Shot Jackpot this season and the 12th winner since the promotion started during the 2006-2007 season.
Sink the @MGMRewards Big Shot Jackpot ✅
HIt the Griddy ✅
Celebrate with AD ✅ pic.twitter.com/kDqbSobdS2— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 29, 2022
The first half consisted of nine ties and 10 lead changes. Guard Dennis Schröder hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer to end the second quarter, giving the Lakers a 62-56 advantage going into halftime.
Westbrook carried the Lakers late in the third quarter, scoring nine points in the span of three regulated minutes. He hotdogged during isolation plays and danced after making baskets. The energy that Westbrook brings motivates his teammates, according to Ham.
“The guys love to see [Westbrook] do well, he’s a beloved teammate,” Ham said. “The biggest thing is when one guy does have it going, we just can’t throw him the ball and relax.”
Indiana pushed the pace with 23 fast break points while the Lakers scored 54 points in the paint. Davis noted how the Pacers getting rebounds and open shots in transition helped them rally back into the game.
“The way we lost, it was all self-inflicted wounds and that’s one thing that we talked about is not shooting ourselves in the foot,” Davis said. “Everything that led up to this loss and their comeback was on us.”
The Lakers will host the Portland Trailblazers on November 30 at 7:30P.M.
