NBA

LeBron brings Lakers back to winning ways at the buzzer

The star of the Los Angeles franchise secured the game-deciding basket after swatting away a missed layup by Doncic with just a few miliseconds remaining in the game against the Pacers.

Lakers players celebrate LeBron's game-winning basket.Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images/Sipa USA / Cordon Press

Published by

Israel Duro

March 27, 2025

3 minutes read

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With a timely last-second basket, LeBron James scored the Los Angeles Lakers' game-winning basket against the Indiana Pacers, finishing 120-119 on Wednesday. Although "King James'" stats were modest—13 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists—the Los Angeles star once again proved decisive, leading the Lakers to victory and helping them tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for fourth place in the Western Conference (44-28).

In fact, despite the extraordinary situation, "The Chosen One" started the final quarter with just three points to his name, all of which came from the free-throw line. However, his scoring surge came at a crucial moment, helping keep the Lakers alive as they faced a tough battle in the final minutes of the game.

LeBron aborted the Pacers' comeback

The Lakers watched as a swift 13-0 run by the Pacers wiped out their 105-92 lead. Ten of those 13 points came from Canadian forward Bennedict Mathurin, who played a key role in the Pacers' late-game surge.

With 42 seconds left, a basket and an extra free throw by Tyrese Haliburton put Indiana ahead 119-118, leaving the Lakers on the brink of a fourth consecutive loss. However, the visitors had the final possession, and Luka Doncic launched a one-handed shot. After the ball rimmed out, LeBron James managed to palm it away in the final moments, securing the win for the Lakers with just a few miliseconds remaining.

The forward celebrated the basket, embraced by his teammates, as the referees confirmed the point after reviewing it. "I was just trying to look at the jumbotron to see if I got it off," James explained in statements picked up by AFP.

Doncic pulled the cart right up until the last second

"One thing about my game is that I can always do other things on the court to help our team win, even when I'm not shooting the ball well," stressed the forward, who finished with a 4-12 shooting stat line. Despite a tough shooting performance, LeBron managed to extend his incredible streak of 1,283 consecutive games scoring at least 10 points.

With the team's franchise player struggling early on, Doncic stepped up to carry the offensive load for the Lakers, finishing with 34 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. He was supported by forward Austin Reaves, who added 24 points. For the Pacers, Mathurin scored 23 points, while Haliburton contributed 16 points and 18 assists.

Jokic and the Nuggets sweep the Bucks without Lillard and Antetokounmpo

One spot above them are the Denver Nuggets (46-28), who beat the Milwaukee Bucks 127-117 on Wednesday. The Bucks were without Damian Lillard, who is out with deep vein thrombosis, and also played without Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Nikola Jokic led Denver with a monumental triple double, recording 39 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.

Clippers deepen Knicks' slump, Celtics continue streak

In another of Wednesday's six games, the Los Angeles Clippers cruised to a 126-113 win over the New York Knicks, led by 29 points from James Harden and 27 from Kawhi Leonard.

Without the injured Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks continue to struggle, having now lost five of their last 10 games.

At the close of the day, the Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to seven with a dominant 132-102 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Kristaps Porzingis and Jaylen Brown, who scored 30 and 24 points respectively, helped make up for the absence of Jayson Tatum. For the Suns, Kevin Durant finished with 30 points.