Lakers pull out of five-game slide with win over Pacers
LOS ANGELES -- Lou Williams scored a game-high 27 points and the Los Angeles Lakers ended a five-game skid with a 108-96 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night at Staples Center.
Julius Randle scored 16 points and Brandon Ingram and Nick Young added 15 points apiece for the Lakers (16-31). Jordan Clarkson chipped in 12 points for Los Angeles.
Paul George had 21 points to lead the Pacers (22-20), who had won seven of their previous eight games. Al Jefferson scored all 20 of his points in the first half for Indiana, which lost for the first time at Staples in four games. Indiana center Myles Turner contributed 15 points.
The Lakers prevailed despite losing starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, who suffered a mild MCL sprain to his right knee and a strained right calf a little more than a minute into the opening quarter. Russell went down awkwardly after stepping on the foot of teammate Julius Randle while dribbling the ball.
Russell lay on the court for several minutes before walking to the locker room. He did not return.
The Pacers led 53-51 at the break. Indiana took advantage of 14 Lakers turnovers (leading to 13 points), eight of those occurring in the second quarter, while committing nine (seven points).
In the third quarter, the Lakers opened with an 18-6 run, including a 10-0 spurt, after a 3-pointer by Jose Calderon with 6:53 left in the period. The Pacers scored seven straight points to slice the deficit to 69-66, but the Lakers answered with an 11-2 surge for an 80-68 advantage after a trey by Williams at 2:31 of the third.
Los Angeles led 86-75 heading into the fourth quarter. Ingram scored 10 in the quarter.
The Lakers increased the lead to as much as 20 points in the fourth quarter. The Pacers never got the lead under double digits.
Luol Deng missed his second straight game with a sprained right wrist.
The teams split the season series. The Pacers captured a 115-108 win on Nov. 2 in Indiana.
NOTES: Lakers F Larry Nance Jr., who missed the last 16 games with a bone bruise in his left knee, has been cleared to play by the team's medical staff. Nance could return Sunday when the Lakers visit the Dallas Mavericks. ... Pacers coach Nate McMillan, who earned his 500th win against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, is one of four active NBA coaches to reach the plateau. Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers and Rick Carlisle are the others. ... McMillan said the Pacers must improve their road play. Indiana was 6-14 entering the game. "The past is the past. We know what we need to do," McMillan said. ... Indiana was the top-ranked foul-shooting club entering the game at 81.9 percent per game. ... The Pacers cap their three-game swing on Saturday at the Utah Jazz.