The Los Angeles Lakers responded to their recent loss against the Detroit Pistons by returning to winning ways with a 137-130 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
Luka Doncic once again led the way with 43 points, six rebounds, and seven assists, shooting 15-of-30 from the field and knocking down four three-pointers.
Austin Reaves, LeBron James, and Jaxson Hayes added 25, 21, and 23 points, respectively, as Los Angeles improved to 47-26 on the season.
Facing an Indiana side sitting bottom of the Eastern Conference at 16-57, head coach JJ Redick had the opportunity to extend minutes deeper into the rotation.
Lakers Continue Cautious Approach With Bronny James
While Dalton Knecht and Kobe Bufkin remained out of the Lakers’ rotation, Bronny James saw 13 minutes of action.
The 21-year-old finished with four points, highlighted by an athletic back-door cut dunk late in the game.
He also added one rebound, one assist, two steals, and one block, shooting 2-of-4 from the field.
James’ opportunities at the NBA level have remained limited throughout his first two professional seasons, and have become even more sporadic in recent months.
In February, he appeared in just three games for the Lakers, logging 32 minutes, and through March, he has played only 27 minutes across four contests.
Despite that, Redick has expressed confidence in James’ development, particularly in light of his performances with the South Bay Lakers.
“He’s gotten significantly better,” Redick told reporters, via BasketNews. “Our staff has a lot of confidence in him, and it felt like this was a game we really needed him. It was a game where his athleticism and defense stood out—he had two really good individual defensive possessions in the first half. The biggest thing with him right now is his confidence.”
“Even though he didn’t make his three tonight, he has a lot of confidence in his shot. He’s having a fantastic season with South Bay and has arguably been the best player in the last three or four weeks in our stay-ready games every time.”
Strong G League Form Continues to Drive Optimism
Across 27 NBA appearances for the Lakers this season, James is averaging 6.7 points, 0.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 6.7 minutes per game, shooting 31.3% from the field and 28.1% from three-point range.
However, his development has been far more evident at the G League level, where he has been a consistent presence in South Bay’s rotation during recent weeks.
In 18 appearances, James is averaging 13.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Over 12 regular season contests for the Lakers’ affiliate, his scoring has climbed to 15.2 points per game, while shooting an efficient 54.6% from the field, 42.1% from beyond the arc, and 90.9% from the free-throw line.
“Definitely a big improvement from last year,” Doncic said of James. “I saw him in training camp, and he was doing some stuff that really impressed me. Today, he did a great job. It was a big game for him. That pull-up was a big bucket—probably one of the most important shots of the game.”
“They were coming back, and he hit that one. I think he did really great in those minutes.”
Further assignments to South Bay are expected, with the team currently sitting atop the Western Conference standings at 24-10.
With a deep G League postseason run on the horizon, James is set to play a key role as the Lakers’ affiliate pushes towards a potential championship.
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