Rick Carlisle was careful not to incur a fine, yet he was resolute in conveying his message. In Sunday night’s game, the Pacers outperformed the Lakers in several key statistical categories. They made nine more field goals and six more 3-pointers, shooting an impressive 50% from beyond the arc by hitting 18 of 36 attempts.
While they nearly matched the Lakers in points scored in the paint (68 to 70), they fell just one rebound short of winning the rebound battle. Additionally, they capitalized on second-chance opportunities, scoring 24 points compared to the Lakers’ 10. The Pacers also excelled in fast-break points, tallying 15 compared to the Lakers’ six, and boasted a significant advantage in bench points with 49 to the Lakers’ 28.
However, despite their strong performance, there was a glaring discrepancy in one area. The Lakers had a considerable advantage in free-throw attempts, shooting 43 and converting 38, while the Pacers only attempted 16 free throws and made nine. This imbalance stemmed from the Pacers being called for 31 personal fouls compared to the Lakers’ 14.
During the second and third quarters, the Lakers outscored the Pacers 86-63, capitalizing on their free-throw opportunities by making 23 of 26 attempts, while the Pacers only went to the line six times and converted all six. This helped the Lakers establish a commanding 19-point lead in the third period, putting the Pacers in a challenging position for the remainder of the game, which ended in a 150-145 loss despite a fourth-quarter comeback effort.
Addressing the free-throw imbalance in his opening statement, Carlisle acknowledged its impact but refrained from elaborating further. “There were certain things that were impossible to overcome,” Carlisle stated. “The 27-free-throw differential is one. The 17-foul differential is the other. And I’ll leave it at that.”
Notably, the significant disparity in free-throw attempts didn’t become apparent until the second quarter, coinciding with an animated exchange between Lakers stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis and the officials, including crew chief Marc Davis, after a foul was called on Davis against Pacers center Myles Turner. Turner capitalized on the opportunity by sinking both free throws, bringing the Pacers’ total attempts to 10 compared to the Lakers’ 12 at that point in the game.