INDIANAPOLIS — LeBron James might have tipped in the winner at the buzzer to lift the Los Angeles Lakers over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, but as his teammates mobbed him to celebrate, the Lakers' star admitted he didn't quite know how to react.
«I really couldn't really have too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time, to be honest,» James said after L.A.'s 120-119 win. «But after they showed the replay on it, it was definitely gratifying.»
An official's review confirmed that James' right hand touched the ball with 0.2 seconds left, redirecting a missed floater by Luka Doncic through the hoop as time expired.
The win ended a three-game skid for the Lakers and halted a five-game winning streak for the Pacers. James also tied Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson with the second-most winning buzzer-beaters in NBA history (eight), behind only Michael Jordan (nine).
«Just shows you what he's about,» Lakers guard Austin Reaves said. «He's a winner at heart. That's really it.»
The dramatic finish capped a wild fourth quarter in which Indiana surged from a 13-point deficit to tie the score. Then, after falling behind by six with 1:51 left, the Pacers took the lead on an and-one by Tyrese Haliburton (16 points, 18 assists) with 42 seconds left.
«It felt like a game we won three times and we lost three times and we ended up winning the game,» Lakers coach JJ Redick said. «And it's hard to win in the NBA. It's hard to win against a great team like Indiana. Frankly, they don't ever get talked about enough nationally. They're a phenomenal basketball team.»
L.A. won both games against Indiana this season. All five starters scored in double digits, led by Doncic's 34 points and Reaves' 24.
James'
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