The Los Angeles Lakers and the Indiana Pacers duke it out in the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. Here's a Lakers vs Pacers prediction.
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are playing some solid basketball at the moment as they've won eight of their last 11 games overall and they will be gunning for a fourth straight victory after blowing past the Pelicans in a 133-89 win on Thursday. LeBron James led the team with 30 points and eight assists on nine of 12 shooting, Austin Reaves added 17 points and seven assists off the bench, Anthony Davis tallied 16 points with 15 rebounds and five assists while D'Angelo Russell chipped in with 14 points. As a team, the Lakers shot 54 percent from the field and 17 of 35 from the 3-point line as they poured in 38 points in the second quarter to take a 13-point lead into halftime, before they exploded for 43 points in the third quarter to put the game to bed early, allowing them to rest their starters.
Los Angeles Lakers Player Facts
- D'Angelo Russell ranks 18th amongst qualified players for assists per game (6.3) this season.
- Cam Reddish ranks 23rd amongst qualified players for steals per game (1.4) this season.
Indiana Pacers
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers have come to life with three impressive wins on the trot, following up their wins over the Heat and the Celtics with a 128-119 road win over the Bucks on Thursday. Tyrese Haliburton led the team with 27 points, seven rebounds and 15 assists, Myles Turner added 26 points with 10 rebounds and three blocks while Obi Toppin chipped in with 14 points on six of eight shooting. As a team, the Pacers shot 49 percent from the field and seven of 33 from the 3-point line as they squandered a 12-point halftime lead, before they finished with a flurry in the fourth quarter to book their ticket to the NBA In-Season Tournament finals. The Pacers finished with 72 points in the paint, they kept their turnovers low and they just pushed a pace that kept the Bucks rushing the entire night.
Indiana Pacers Player Facts
- Tyrese Haliburton ranks 1st amongst qualified players for assists per game (12.1) this season.
- Myles Turner ranks 2nd in the Eastern Conference amongst qualified players for Blocks Per Game (2.1) this season.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Lakers rank 30th in the league for three-point field goals made per game this season (10.2).
- The Lakers rank 1st in the league for opponent free throw attempts per game this season (18.6).
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for points per game this season (128.4).
- The Pacers rank 1st in the league for assists per game this season (30.2).
Lakers vs Pacers prediction
The Lakers are still a little shorthanded with Gabe Vincent still out, while the Pacers are still missing Andrew Nembhard and Jalen Smith. The Lakers are coming into this meeting with playing some good basketball with James and Davis leading the way and they certainly looked dominant in their big win over the Pelicans on Thursday, but these young Pacers have been a real surprise package this season and they just took down the Heat, Celtics and the Bucks in succession. Haliburton is really emerging as the next superstar for the Pacers and I wouldn't be surprised if the Pacers got the win here, but the Lakers have looked like the more consistent and reliable team lately and I think Davis will have a big night against Turner in this matchup. Give me the Lakers to come away with the win and cover at the reasonable line.
AUTHOR: Peter Tran
