Lakers vs. Pacers: In-game report

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Lakers 118, Pacers 96 (final)

This time, the Lakers didn’t have to worry about a last-second shot by the Pacers to send them to a defeat.

This time, the Lakers left no doubt, building a big lead in the third and increasing it in the fourth.

With Kobe Bryant scoring 29 points, grabbing nine rebounds and handing out seven assists, the Lakers improved to 3-2 on this eight-game trip.

Andrew Bynum had 27 points on 12 for 14 shooting, and 12 rebounds and Pau Gasol had 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Last season, the Lakers lost here at Conseco Fieldhouse on a last-second tip-in by Troy Murphy.

It never came to that this time.

The Lakers built a lead as big as 24 points.

Lakers 92, Pacers 78 (third quarter)

Behind Kobe Bryant’s play, the Lakers took control of the game in the third, going up by as much as 16 points in the quarter.

Bryant made 13 of his 23 points in the third.

The play of the third quarter belong to Andrew Bynum, who is having another good game.

Bynum sized up Roy Hibbert on the low blocks,did a jab-step to his right and then went hard left and threw down a left-handed dunk on Hibbert.

Bynum was fouled on the play. He made the free throw for a three-point play.

Bynum’s teammates leaped off the bench after the play.

During a timeout, Bynum walked over to Lakers assistant coach Brian Shaw and smiled.

Bynum had 25 points on 11 for 13 shooting, and 10 rebounds through three quarters.

Lakers 59, Pacers 56 (halftime)

The first half was about the way Andrew Bynum dominated for the Lakers.

Bynum had 22 first-half points and seven rebounds. He missed just two of his 12 shots.

He was needed because Pau Gasol was having such a tough go of i in the first half.

Gasol, the other part of the Lakers’ big-man duo, was jsut four-for-13 in the first half.

It took a Lamar Odom three-pointer by Lamar Odom for the Lakers to open a three-point lead.

Lakers 31, Pacers 29 (first quarter)

The Lakers attacked the undersized Indiana Pacers inside, going hard at them with seven-footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

But they weren’t the only ones.

The rest of the Lakers went at the Pacers inside as well, going in for layups.

The Lakers scored 18 of their points inside the paint against the Pacers in the first quarter.

Bynum led the Lakers with 12 first-quarter points. He made all five of his field goals.

There was a moment in the first quarter when Indiana’s Danny Granger, all 6-9 of him, was wrestling with Gasol, trying to keep him away from the offensive boards.

The Lakers coaching staff yelled at the officials for a foul that wasn’t called.

When the Lakers came back down on offense again, referee LeRoy Richardson told the Lakers’ bench,’I didn’t see it.’

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson responded with: ‘Because you weren’t playing attention.’

Pregame:

The Lakers have not been successful against the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse, losing a game last season on a last-second shot on a Troy Murphy tip-in at the buzzer.

In fact, since the Pacers moved to the Conseco Fieldhouse in 1999, the Lakers are 3-7.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was asked why the Lakers can’t seem to win here.

They were back at it again Wednesday night in search of that victory over the Pacers.

‘I couldn’t venture a guess, to tell you the trurth,’ Jackson said. ‘It’s been a hard place for us to play. The Pacers play well here.’

-- Broderick Turner