The Los Angeles Lakers (2-13) play the visiting Indiana Pacers (10-5) at the Staples Center. The game starts at 9:30 pm ET on Sunday, Nov. 29 and will air on FxI and TWC.
The Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers 108-96 on Saturday. Jordan Clarkson played well for Los Angeles, finishing with 19 points, four steals, and four assists. The Pacers, meanwhile, are coming off a 104-92 win over the Bulls on Friday. Paul George led the game in scoring with 33 points on 11-for-24 shooting.
Over the last five games, George and C.J. Miles have been hot for the Pacers. During that stretch, George has averaged 30.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.6 steals, and 4.6 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Miles has put up 21.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 4.6 three-pointers.
The inefficient Lakers offense (29th in the NBA with an offensive efficiency of 97.4) will square off against the stingy Pacers defense (third in the league with a defensive efficiency of 95.8). The Pacers figure to have the advantage on that end of the court.
The Lakers are a seven-point underdog in this game and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 201 points. The Lakers are looking to improve on their records of 2-12 Straight Up (SU) and 4-10 Against The Spread (ATS). They have performed well enough in the Eastern Conference to earn an ATS record of 4-2, but only have a SU record of 2-4. Whenever an Eastern Conference opponent shows up on the calendar, the Lakers play better on defense. They allow an average of 105.9 points per game, but allow just 97.7 against teams from the East.
On the other side, Indiana has a SU record of 10-5 and an ATS record of 11-4. Most recently, Indiana is 9-1 ATS over the last 10 games. Indiana’s defense as a whole has been firing on all cylinders so far, ranking fourth in the NBA with only 95.1 points allowed per game.
This game marks the first time these teams will play this season. The last time the Lakers and the Pacers played, Los Angeles won, but the Pacers still lead the head-to-head record over the last 10, 6-4 SU. The Pacers also hold the advantage ATS with a record of 6-4.
Predictions: SU Winner – Ind, ATS Winner – Ind, O/U – Under
Notes
LA Lakers are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games.
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of the LA Lakers last 11 games.
LA Lakers are 0-5 SU in their last 5 games.
LA Lakers are 1-7 SU in their last 8 games at home.
LA Lakers are 1-7 ATS in their last 8 games at home.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games at home.
The total has gone OVER in 9 of the LA Lakers last 13 games when playing Indiana.
LA Lakers are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games when playing Indiana.
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of the LA Lakers last 5 games when playing at home against Indiana.
LA Lakers are 20-5 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against Indiana.
Los Angeles ranks 23rd in points per game with 96.7, while Indiana ranks fourth in points allowed with an average of 95.1 given up.
On average, Los Angeles puts up 99.0 points per home game (ranked 21st), while Indiana allows 95.3 points per away game (ranked fifth).
The Lakers have an even 2-2 record when they allow fewer than 100 points. When the Pacers score fewer than 100 points, they are 3-4.
Los Angeles has not won a game this season (0-11) when allowing 100 or more points. On the other hand, Indiana has a superb 7-1 record when it hits triple digits.
The Pacers have a defensive rating of 95.8 (ranked third), while the Lakers have an offensive rating of 97.4 (ranked 29th).
The Los Angeles Lakers average 99.2 possessions per game and .974 points per possession, while the Indiana Pacers earn fewer possessions (99.1) but more points per possession (1.023).
The Indiana Pacers have one of the best effective field goal percentages this season, ranking 10th in the league with an EFF% of 50.2%. When their opponents record a similar or higher EFF%, the Los Angeles Lakers are winless with a 0-8 record.
Los Angeles makes an average of 18.7 assists per game (ranked 26th). Indiana ranks higher in assists with 21.6 (ranked 14th).
The Los Angeles Lakers average 5.1 blocks per game for a rank of 14th. The Indiana Pacers rank lower (21st), earning 4.4 blocks each game.
The Los Angeles Lakers rank 26th in offensive rebounding, while the Indiana Pacers rank 21st in defensive rebounding.
Averaging 9.9 steals per game, the Indiana Pacers are ranked second in the league. The Los Angeles Lakers are a winless 0-3 this season when their opponents commit 9 or more steals.
