In Los Angeles, Rick Carlisle walked a fine line between making his point and avoiding potential fines. Despite the Pacers outscoring the Lakers by nine field goals and netting six more 3-pointers, shooting an impressive 50% from beyond the arc, they nearly matched Los Angeles in paint points with 68 to the Lakers’ 70. Falling just one rebound shy of winning the battle under the boards, the Pacers notably capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 24 points compared to the Lakers’ 10. Additionally, they outpaced the Lakers in fast-break points, tallying 15 to the Lakers’ six, and showcased their bench strength with 49 points compared to the Lakers’ 28.
However, the Lakers held a significant advantage in one key aspect. Los Angeles attempted a staggering 43 free throws, converting 38 of them, whereas the Pacers only went to the line 16 times, making nine shots. This discrepancy came as the Pacers were charged with 31 personal fouls, compared to the Lakers’ 14.
During the second and third quarters, the Lakers dominated, outscoring the Pacers 86-63. Notably, the Lakers were incredibly efficient at the free-throw line, converting 23 of 26 attempts, while the Pacers only had six attempts, making all of them. This disparity allowed the Lakers to establish a commanding 19-point lead in the third quarter. Despite a valiant effort from the Pacers to stage a comeback in the fourth quarter, they ultimately fell short, with the final score standing at 150-145 in favor of the Lakers.
Rick Carlisle acknowledged the significant gap in free-throw opportunities during his opening statement, but he chose not to elaborate further on the matter.
There were certain challenges that proved insurmountable,” remarked Carlisle. “The 27-free-throw disparity stands out, as does the 17-foul discrepancy. And I’ll leave it at that.”
Notably, the gap in free throws became particularly pronounced in the second quarter, coinciding with an extended and animated exchange between Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the officials, including crew chief Marc Davis. This interaction followed a foul called on Davis against Pacers center Myles Turner. Turner successfully converted both free throws at the 5:35 mark of the second quarter, bringing the Pacers’ free-throw attempts to 10 compared to the Lakers’ 12 at that juncture.
During the discussion, Marc Davis appeared resolute in his decision and upheld the foul call on Anthony Davis. However, following this exchange, the subsequent 12 fouls were all called against the Pacers, along with a technical foul issued to Pacers forward Pascal Siakam for contesting one of the calls. By the time Turner converted the second free throw with 5:35 remaining in the second quarter, the Pacers held a slim 57-55 lead. However, the Lakers surged ahead to a 91-78 lead before Siakam’s basket and foul finally afforded the Pacers another opportunity at the free-throw line. Remarkably, the Lakers accumulated 12 free-throw attempts during this stretch.
Although the Pacers refrained from explicitly linking this sequence to the ensuing disparity, they acknowledged that the Lakers’ frequent trips to the free-throw line hindered their ability to execute their preferred style of play.”
When you shoot that many free throws, they control the pace,” Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Halliburton said. “We like to play up and down like we did in the first quarter. When the game gets stopped a lot and there’s a lot of free throws being shot, that’s really been the story of both games we’ve played. They dictate the pace because there are so many free throws being shot. We just have to do a better job of not fouling and playing through that.”
Haliburton recalled the teams’ previous encounter during the In-Season Tournament finals in December in Las Vegas, where the Lakers also capitalized on numerous trips to the free-throw line. He emphasized that officials have seemingly allowed for a more physical style of play in recent weeks, a trend that wasn’t as evident during Sunday’s game.
“Today, they shot 43 free throws,” Haliburton remarked. “In the first game (during the In-Season Tournament finals), it was 35. It’s challenging to determine what to do when a team benefits from such a high number of free-throw opportunities. The game’s officiating has shifted in recent weeks, allowing for more physicality initially, but that wasn’t the case today. Regardless, we must adapt and persevere through whatever challenges arise.”