Game Preview: Pacers vs Lakers

Thursday, Feb. 2 at 6:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

As he narrows in on breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring record, LeBron James will make his annual visit to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Tuesday, when the Pacers (24-28) take on the Lakers (23-28).

James needs 117 points to surpass Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 total points, a record that has stood for decades. Until recently, there was a chance that James could have set the record in Indiana, but that disappeared when he sat out Monday’s game in Brooklyn with a sore left ankle. The Lakers play Tuesday in New York (James is listed as questionable), then will head to Indiana to take on the Blue & Gold on Thursday.

For the Pacers, star point guard Tyrese Haliburton could potentially return to action this week. Haliburton has not played since suffering left elbow and knee injuries in a Jan. 11 loss in New York, but practiced on Tuesday (as did center Daniel Theis, who has yet to play this season after undergoing knee surgery in November).

The Pacers have sorely missed Haliburton, going 1-9 without the NBA assists leader. Certain players have played well in his absence — like rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin, who has topped 20 points in each of his last five games — but the Pacers have struggled defensively and didn’t have enough offensive firepower to make up for their shortcomings on the other end.

The Lakers are led by James and Anthony Davis, who recently returned from a 20-game absence due to a foot injury. James is averaging 30.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 7.1 assists on the season, while Davis is averaging 26.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks.

Pacers: G – TJ McConnell, G – Chris Duarte, F – Buddy Hield, F – Aaron Nesmith, C – Myles Turner

Lakers: G – Dennis Schröder, G – Patrick Beverley, F – Troy Brown Jr., F – LeBron James, C – Thomas Bryant

Nov. 28, 2022: Rookie guard Andrew Nembhard knocked down a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to lift the Pacers (12-8) to a 116-115 win over the Lakers (7-12) on the second night of a back-to-back.

Nembhard’s game-winner capped another thrilling comeback by the Blue & Gold, who trailed by 17 early in the fourth quarter on Monday and were down by 11 with under five minutes remaining.

It came off the 13th assist of the night from star guard Tyrese Haliburton, who spotted Nembhard on the left wing after a mad scramble in the closing seconds.

The entire team mobbed Nembhard — who just returned Monday after a four-game absence — on the court in celebration. Pacers President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard even jolted from his courtside seat to join in on the fun.

“It got back to Ty somehow and then it was kind of just like a broken play,” Nembhard said of the final sequence. “They left me open. Ty made a good look, kicked it out, and I had to get it up quickly.”

Haliburton led six Pacers in double figures with 24 points, 13 assists, and seven rebounds — his sixth straight double-double. Mathurin added 23 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

But the hero of the night was Nembhard, who finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks, going 4-for-7 from 3-point range.

Anthony Davis led the Lakers with 25 points, 13 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks. Russell Westbrook added 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting and six assists off the bench, while LeBron James finished with 21 points and seven boards.

TV: Bally Sports Indiana – Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst), Jeremiah Johnson (sideline reporter/host)

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan – Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Eddie Gill (analyst), Pat Boylan (sideline reporter/host)

The Pacers welcome LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday, Feb. 2 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>