They met in the first championship game of the NBA season in Las Vegas in December, a game the Lakers won against the Indiana Pacers.
There was less at stake when the two teams met Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena, but the game still had significance for the Lakers.
As the regular season draws to a close, the Lakers are looking for home-court advantage for the play-in tournament.
The Lakers’ emphatic 150-145 victory over the Pacers was a step in the right direction, giving them a 2 ½ game lead over the 10th-seeded Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference playoff race.
Spencer Dinwiddie, who started in place of D’Angelo Russell (non-COVID illness), played a leading role in helping the Lakers record a season high in points. Dinwiddie had 26 points – the most he has scored since his arrival – making eight of 11 from the field and two of three from three-point range. He made eight of nine from the free throw line, his final free throw giving the Lakers (39-32) a four-point lead with 20 seconds remaining.
Anthony Davis finished with 36 points and 16 rebounds, and LeBron James had 26 points, 10 assists and five rebounds to help the Lakers earn their third straight victory. Austin Reaves finished with 25 points.
The Lakers scored 116 points through three quarters – their highest output this season – and held a 17-point lead entering the fourth.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers (40-32) with 36 points and 12 rebounds.
