INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Just when it looked like the Pacers might be losing their grip on a potential home court playoff advantage, Indiana rolled to a nine point win over the Lakers.
Los Angeles built an early 12-point first half lead at Bankers Life Fieldhouse thanks to 27 points from Kyle Kuzma and 23 from Brook Lopez, but Indiana exploded in the second half.
A ferocious follow-up dunk by Victor Oladipo that gave Indiana a 71-68 edge seemed to light a fire under the team.
Oladipo scored 20, Lance Stephenson continued his hot shooting by adding 18 more, but the eye-opener came from Myles Turner. After spraining an ankle and missing a critical loss in Washington Saturday night to drop them into the fifth seed in the east, Turner tallied a game high 21 points, providing the difference.
The Pacers magic number to clinch a playoff spot now stands at two, and they’ll visit New Orleans Wednesday on a make-up game postponed by rain in New Orleans earlier in the season.
The Smoothie King Center roof leaked onto the playing floor, and that game had to be pushed back for a later date.
