Even LeBron James looked a little tired after the Los Angeles Lakers 137-130 win over the Indiana Pacers. With a clear shot in the last few seconds, James instead gave the ball to 24-year-old Jake LaVina, who scored the final basket of the game, ending the Lakers’ winning six-game road trip. The Lakers managed to win their fifth game of the trip despite being tired and having a short-handed roster. The win was topped by Luka Doncic, leading the 14th game of this season, scoring 40 or more points in the entire league, a 43-point, 7-assist performance.
Although Doncic was quite ready to end the evening with the 11th straight 30-point game streak, which tied with the longest ones of the last 20 years, he decided to go for it as Indiana threw heavy pressure at him. The Pacers, having a 16-57 record, were actually the ones that cut the 29-point third-quarter deficit to 6 with under 30 seconds remaining. Probably everybody was a bit tired, Doncic said. This has been a very long trip, but we came out on top at the end; that’s the most important thing.
LeBron James points at 2 defenders after he scored on them —
LeBron is thriving. 🤣💀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 26, 2026
Luka Doncic Dominates Despite Fatigue
Doncic got the better of things in the beginning, putting up 21 points in the first quarter only, and kept the team motivated by assisting on a dunk to Maxi Kleber and scoring a step-back three-point shot, his signature move.
The Lakers basically ran the entire game, with LeBron James ending up with 23 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Austin Reaves scored 25 points and dished out eight assists, and Jaxson Hayes had his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds, including 7 dunks.
Hayes pointed to his visit home as the source of his energy: after the Detroit game, he spent time with his family in Cincinnati and enjoyed a home-cooked breakfast. They also did house-hunting and dinner with his parents before driving to Indianapolis. “Best way to end the trip for sure, ” he smiled. The Lakers were missing DeAndre Ayton, Marcus Smart, and Hachimura due to injuries, while rookie Adou Thiero was kept out as a precaution after the recent G League game. However, some bench players rose to the occasion, including Bronny James, who scored four points with two steals and a block in 13:22 minutes coming off the bench.
Lakers Climb Western Conference Standings
Coach JJ Redick stressed Bronny’s defensive intensity and confidence, pointing to an important free-throw line jumper late in the fourth quarter. The Lakers, who won 13 of the last 15 games, have climbed to third position in the very competitive Western Conference. Home games are definitely a welcome break, especially after a tiring road trip. Do we have to do this? Redick softly questioned during his postgame press conference as he expressed the team’s tiredness. However, they found winning as a way to keep their pace going in their last few games of the regular season.
