Third Quarter:
Young returned from his hyperextended knee, but Russell was ruled out for the remainder of the game due to a strained right calf in addition to MCL sprain in his right knee.
The Lakers showed a renewed focus on the defense to start the half, which led to opportunities on offense. Young knocked down an open three, which was followed by consecutive Ingram 3-pointers, giving the Lakers a 64-59 lead early into the third quarter.
Although the Lakers already had 15 turnovers with more than eight minutes left in the third, they didn’t let it discourage them from attacking the rim and finding their teammates.
The uncharacteristic strong start to the second half continued for the Lakers, as Calderon scored a layup and hit an open three on consecutive possessions, extending the Lakers’ lead to 69-61.
Although his two early threes were wide open, Ingram wouldn’t let that stop him from getting to the rim. His next two buckets came inside the paint, giving him 10 points in the third quarter.
By using their offensive sets, the Lakers were able to slowly increase their advantage, as a backdoor cut by Clarkson, followed by a corner three from Williams, gave the Lakers a 80-68 cushion with less than three minutes remaining in the quarter.
C.J. Miles and Turner each hit a three, but Black was able to get a three-point play to negate the damage. Upon an offensive rebound on their final possession, Clarkson tapped the ball out to Young for a three.
The Lakers outscored the Pacers 35-22 in the third quarter, giving them a 86-75 lead going into the final 12 minutes.
Fourth quarter:
The start to the fourth quarter picked up where the third left off, as the Lakers’ defense led to fastbreak opportunities on offense. Clarkson’s hustle in the passing lane resulted in a dunk, while Young was left open in the corner after an offensive rebound for his fifth three in the game.
The 8-2 run to start the fourth extended the gap, as the Lakers led 94-77 early in the quarter. A key defensive adjustment made by Walton was the decision to put Mozgov against Jefferson. Mozgov’s ability to play physical, while using his verticality troubled the Pacers’ big man.
After the Lakers broke the game open to take a 17-point lead with under nine minutes left, Williams kept the pressure on the Pacers. He finished with a game-high 27 points in the Lakers’ 108-96 victory that snapped their losing streak.
