Clippers Can't Keep Pace

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Indiana Pacers 106-105, their 48th loss of the season. Eric Gordon and Zach Randolph both returned to the court after missing a few days, but Marcus Camby, Baron Davis, and Ricky Davis could not play. LA had a 13 point lead after halftime, but lost in the second half 55-41. The Pacers had only 9 turnovers, and the Clips shot .494 from the field. Gordon had 35 points to lead the Clippers, and Al Thornton had 22 points and 9 rebounds. Randolph finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench. Jarrett Jack led Indiana with 25 points, and Troy Murphy added 22 points and 15 rebounds.

Lakers Avoid Repeat Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers 121-119, avenging their last second loss to the Pacers in early December. Indiana tied the score when Mike Dunleavy, Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer with 26.4 seconds left, but Kobe Bryant hit a fall-away jump-shot with 3 seconds left to get the win. Defense took a night off as the Lakers shot .564 from inside the arc, while Indiana shot .488 to go with 11 3-pointers. Each team committed 13 turnovers, while Trevor Ariza, Vladimir Radmanovic, and Indian's Troy Murphy were each hit with technical fouls in the 4th quarter. Bryant led the game with 36 points and a season-high 13 assists, as well as 7 rebounds. Andrew Bynum had 20 points, and Pau Gasol had 21 with 11 rebounds. Josh Powell had his best game of the season off the bench, scoring 10 points. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 28 points, but fouled out with the game on the line. Murphy scored 24 points and Dunleavy had 22.

Lakers Stunned by Indiana

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Indiana Pacers 118-117, losing on a buzzer-beater tip-in by Troy Murphy. The Lakers defense suffered throughout the entire game, blowing a fourth-quarter 15 point lead. Kobe Bryant became the second-youngest player ever to score 22, 000 points, and led LA with 28 points. Pau Gasol had 20 points with 9 rebounds, and and Trevor Ariza had 13 points, 5 boards, and 3 steals. Danny Granger led the Pacers with 32 points and Murphy had 16 points and 17 rebounds.