Lakers' JJ Redick makes bold Pacers prediction after bonkers game
03/27/2025 02:05 PM
JJ Redick didn't hold back after the Los Angeles Lakers escaped Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. The first-year head coach praised Indiana's trajectory, calling them one of the most dangerous and overlooked teams in the league.
"Frankly, they don't ever, ever talked about enough nationally," Redick said. "They're a phenomenal basketball team. Rick [Carlisle] is a phenomenal coach and they're going to be a tough out in the East again."
“Frankly, [The Pacers] don’t ever, ever get talked about enough nationally… They are going to be a tough out in the East again.”
JJ Redick after the Lakers’ last-second win vs. Indiana
(via @Pacers)pic.twitter.com/lzZGmWRXL8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 27, 2025
The Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak behind a buzzer-beating tip-in from LeBron James, who secured the win after Indiana erased a 17-point deficit in the second half. The victory also ended the Pacers' five-game win streak.
James, 40, was playing in just his third game back from a groin strain that sidelined him for two weeks. He finished with 13 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and a steal in 35 minutes. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 34 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and a block.
The win improved Los Angeles to 44-28 on the season, putting them just one game behind the Denver Nuggets (46-28) for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers continue their four-game road trip Thursday against the Chicago Bulls (32-40) before concluding it Saturday against the Memphis Grizzlies (44-28).
JJ Redick praises Pacers’ rise under Rick Carlisle as Lakers gain ground in West playoff race
Indiana fell to 42-30 but remains in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, trailing the third-seeded New York Knicks (45-27) by three games. The Pacers still boast one of the league's top offensive attacks, ranking eighth in the NBA at 116.6 points per game.
Indiana nearly pulled off the comeback win, continuing a season defined by offensive firepower and late-game competitiveness. The Pacers reached the Eastern Conference Finals last year for the first time since 2014, and although they were swept by the eventual champion Boston Celtics, they held fourth-quarter leads in three of the four games.
Carlisle's group will begin a two-game road trip Thursday against the Washington Wizards (16-56), followed by a Saturday matchup with the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder (60-12), who enter on a seven-game win streak.
Los Angeles will look to bounce back from a blowout loss to the Bulls last weekend, when they allowed 146 points and a near quadruple-double from Josh Giddey, who recorded 15 points, 17 assists, 10 rebounds and eight steals.
With the postseason looming, Redick's comments underscored Indiana's continued rise in the East, while his Lakers aim to solidify their standing in a tightly packed Western Conference.
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