The Pacers are facing the Lakers in their last meeting of the season. While the Pacers pulled off a win in their previous game in LA, the Lakers are a transformed team now. With Luka, Reaves, and LeBron almost at full health, they pose a significant challenge. That said, Indiana has also been on the rise, with both teams aiming to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs!
Lakers Injuries:
Rui Hachimura Probable
LeBron James Probable
Maxi Kleber Out
Pacers Injuries:
None
This should be an exciting matchup between two of the most entertaining offensive teams in the league. The Pacers have been on a roll recently, notching a five-game winning streak. They have looked fantastic with all the pieces falling into place late in the season for them.
The Lakers, on the other hand, have faced some late-season challenges with LeBron missing a few games. With LeBron, they should have a distinct advantage in star power tonight. LeBron and Luka are both capable of dominating this game; the main question will be the performance of the supporting cast. The team has been inconsistent in terms of its role players. Players like Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes will need to elevate their game against this strong Pacers squad. Ultimately, the Lakers have to be focused on defense preventing the ball from getting inside, where their defense tends to be weaker. So the point of attack defense will be critical in slowing down a more athletic Indiana team.
The Pacers should be able to run on the Lakers. They have the athletes to get out in space and push the pace. If they’re able to score in transition while attacking the paint through Siakam, Toppin, and Mathurin, they should be able to score at will. However, scoring might not be enough going up against the Lakers; they’ll need to pick their poison on defense.
One of the more challenging aspects of going against the Lakers is the three-headed monster of Reaves, LeBron, and Luka. You can never stop all three, but forcing the majority of the scoring burden on one player has proven effective. In the Lakers' recent loss to the Magic, Luka was forced to carry the load alone. The Magic then attack the Lakers inside and were able to live at the free throw line.
This has to be the playbook for the Pacers tonight. Attack the paint, pick your poison on defenses, and force your way to the line. Luckily, the Pacers have all the tools to do that. They’ll have the advantage tonight despite being the underdog on the line. I expect them to continue their win streak tonight and secure this game at home!
Money line: LAL (-120) / IND (+100)
Total Points: 236
Spread: -1 LAL (-112) / +1 IND (-108)
The Pacers have been too good lately not to take. Even with the Lakers at nearly full strength, we just saw that group lose on Monday to the Magic. With Siakam in the paint, Haliburton as the playmaker, and an elite bench unit, they should be able to beat the Lakers. The star power on LA might go off tonight and carry them to a win, but as long as the Pacers don’t shoot themselves out of this one, they should have an excellent chance to win.
Even though the Laker defense has been better, I don’t believe in their bench unit holding up. Going against Mathurin and Toppin, the Pacers' bench might have 60 tonight alone. Considering how much offensive firepower is sitting on both sides of this matchup tonight, the over is looking tempting.
With the spread so close tonight, I’d say just ignore it and take the money line. Especially if you’re with me on the Pacers, getting even odds on the money line is looking like the smart bet over the +1 spread line.
Mathurin is the exact type of athlete who can score against the Lakers tonight. His size and strength will allow him to attack the rim against a weak LA bench. In their last game against LA, Mathurin put up 16 points in only 25 minutes. Averaging 16 points a game in March the 14 point mark for the over looks very achievable.
Reaves hasn’t exactly been a lights-out shooter this year. This line is all about attempts. With Reaves shooting around 36% from three in March, we’ve seen him average nearly 3 made threes a game. However, in games where he’s sharing the court with Luka, his three-point attempts show a noticeable reduction. This looks like a great line unless he shoots well above his average tonight.
Hayes has really stepped up as a versatile player for the Lakers! While he brings a lot of talent to the team, sometimes his skills aren’t quite needed. Fortunately, tonight isn’t one of those nights! With the size of Indiana down low with Siakam and Turner, Hayes will probably see a fair amount of time on the court. In their last matchup, Hayes played most of the game and racked up 12 rebounds. If he can stay on the court, he’ll have a solid shot of getting to 6 rebounds.
Haliburton has been on fire with his assists lately! With the team working together so well, he’s had plenty of open teammates who are nailing those shots. In March, he’s averaging 12 assists a game and has only been under 11 assists four times in the last 11 games. Going against a challenging Lakers team might affect him, but considering they’ll be at home tonight, the plus money on 11 assists looks enticing.