Lakers vs Pacers Match Player Stats: Box Scores & Leaders

LeBron James sat out the March 6 matchup in Los Angeles, but that didn’t slow the Lakers down. Luka Doncic went off for 44 points in just three quarters, and Los Angeles handled Indiana 128-117 at Crypto.com Arena. Less than three weeks later, the teams met again in Indiana — with a closer final score but the same result. Here’s what the box scores actually show, broken down by game and by the numbers that mattered most.

Latest Score (Mar 6, 2026): Lakers 128-117 Pacers ·
Top Scorer: Luka Doncic 44 pts ·
LeBron Status: Absent (elbow) ·
Mar 25 Rematch: Lakers 137-130 Pacers

Two key statistical comparisons emerge when examining these March 2026 Lakers-Pacers games.

Why is LeBron out vs Pacers?

LeBron James did not play in the March 6 matchup at Crypto.com Arena. According to game-day reporting, an elbow injury kept him sidelined against the Pacers. The Lakers managed the game without their franchise star, with Luka Doncic stepping into the primary scoring role and carrying the load offensively.

The elbow issue was acute enough to warrant sitting out a winnable regular-season game, but it did not appear to be a long-term concern. LeBron returned for the rematch on March 25 in Indiana, where he contributed two clutch free throws in the final minutes as the Pacers made a late push. His presence mattered in that moment — Los Angeles held on for a seven-point win.

Elbow injury details

Official injury reports from game day listed LeBron as out due to an elbow injury. No further specifics (grade, timeline, or practice participation) were available in the public box score or recap materials. The Lakers listed him as unavailable and proceeded with an eight-man rotation.

Impact on player stats

Without LeBron, Luka Doncic attempted 28 field goals and converted a high percentage, finishing with 44 points in approximately three quarters of action. The distribution of minutes shifted toward secondary scorers, and the Lakers’ ball movement improved, recording 33 assists as a team. Defensively, Los Angeles allowed the Pacers to shoot 53% from the field, but the offensive output was sufficient to maintain control throughout.

Lakers vs Pacers Match Player Stats Today

The March 6 game at Crypto.com Arena produced the more dominant statistical performance from the Lakers. Los Angeles posted 128 points across four quarters — 35-29-35-29 — and led for nearly the entire contest. Luka Doncic scored 44 points in the first three quarters alone, sitting out the fourth with the game already decided. The Pacers kept pace through strong three-point shooting (17 of 37, 46%) but could not overcome the deficit.

Shooting percentages tell a mixed story. The Pacers actually shot better as a team — 53% to the Lakers’ 47% — but Los Angeles won the rebounding battle (40 total rebounds to 43 for the Pacers’ defensive effort) and the assist count (33 to 25). The key differential was free-throw efficiency: Indiana went 21 of 23 from the line (91%), while Los Angeles managed only 17 of 24 (71%).

Top performers

Luka Doncic led all scorers with 44 points on efficient shooting. The supporting cast included strong contributions across the rotation, though individual minute breakdowns are not fully available in the public data. For the Pacers, the three-point shooting night — 17 of 37 — kept them competitive, and the free-throw shooting was nearly flawless.

• Luka Doncic (Lakers): 44 points — dominant scoring in limited minutes
• Pacers team: 17 of 37 from three-point range (46%)
• Lakers team: 33 assists — high ball movement without LeBron
• Free-throw differential: Pacers 91% vs Lakers 71%

Box score breakdown

The March 6 box score shows four quarters of solid Lakers offense. Los Angeles scored 35 in the first quarter, 29 in the second, 35 in the third, and 29 in the fourth — a consistent output that never dipped below 29 in any frame. The Pacers’ best quarter was the fourth, when they put up 37 points, but by then the deficit was too large to overcome.

Rebounding and playmaking numbers from the matchup include 40 total rebounds for the Lakers (12 offensive, 28 defensive) and 33 assists. The Pacers grabbed 43 rebounds (6 offensive, 37 defensive) but turned the ball over enough to allow Los Angeles extra possessions. Turnovers are listed at 10 steals for the Lakers against 5 for the Pacers.

How bad is Haliburton’s injury?

Publicly available box score materials and recap data from ESPN do not include specific reporting on Tyrese Haliburton’s injury status for the March 2026 matchups. Injury designations, recovery timelines, or game-availability reports for Haliburton were not found in the verified source data for either the March 6 or March 25 games. Individual player availability would need to be confirmed through official NBA injury reports or team press releases.

For readers tracking Pacers player health, the most reliable sources are the official NBA injury report and the team’s public communications. The verified facts used in this article are drawn from game-box data and recaps, which do not cover pre-game injury designations beyond the confirmed absence of LeBron James on March 6.

How many minutes did Bronny James play?

Detailed minute breakdowns for Bronny James in the March 6 and March 25 games are not available in the public box score data used for this article. The ESPN matchup pages and recaps list team-level statistics (total rebounds, assists, steals) but do not provide individual minute totals for secondary players in these two games. Full player-level box scores with minute data would require the official game stats from NBA.com or StatMuse.

Readers looking for Bronny James minute totals against the Pacers should check the official player profile pages on NBA.com or StatMuse, which track individual game logs including minutes played. The verified facts in this article confirm the team-level results and the top performers, but do not include granular minute data for players other than confirmed top scorers.

Lakers vs Pacers Last Game Player Stats

The most recent confirmed matchup was March 25, 2026, at Indiana. The Lakers won 137-130 in a game that was less dominated than the March 6 meeting but still saw Los Angeles in control for most of the night. The Lakers scored the first 10 points and never trailed, building a 29-point lead in the third quarter before the Pacers mounted a late rally that fell just short.

Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 43 points. Pascal Siakam paced the Pacers with 20 points, and Jay Huff added 18. Jarace Walker hit a three-pointer with 28 seconds left to cut the margin to six points (133-127), but the Lakers converted enough free throws down the stretch to seal the win. LeBron James played and made two free throws in the final minute after the Pacers’ late push.

Mar 25, 2026 box score

The quarter-by-quarter breakdown for the March 25 game shows the Lakers scoring 45 in the first quarter, then 30, 30, and 32 in the final three frames for a 137-130 total. The Pacers put up 28 in the first, 31 in the second, 26 in the third, and 45 in the fourth — their highest-scoring quarter coming too late to change the outcome. The Lakers’ record improved to 47-26 overall and 24-14 on the road after this win.

• Lakers Q1-Q4: 45-30-30-32 = 137 total
• Pacers Q1-Q4: 28-31-26-45 = 130 total
• Lakers lead peaked at 29 points in Q3
• Pacers cut to 131-124 with 45 seconds remaining

Key leaders

Luka Doncic continues to be the primary offensive engine for the Lakers in matchups against the Pacers. His 43-point performance on March 25 came on slightly lower volume than his 44-point night on March 6, but the game context was different — LeBron played, the Pacers were closer throughout, and the finish was tighter. In both cases, Doncic’s scoring output directly determined the outcome.

Pascal Siakam’s 20 points and Jay Huff’s 18 points represented the Pacers’ most productive individual nights, but without consistent support across the roster, Indiana could not generate enough offensive balance to threaten a winning result. The late-game rally was encouraging but ultimately insufficient.

Timeline

The two Lakers-Pacers matchups in March 2026 were separated by 19 days and produced similar outcomes despite different in-game dynamics. Los Angeles won both games decisively, with the March 6 game (128-117) decided early and the March 25 game (137-130) featuring a Pacers comeback that came up short.

Key moments from both games trace the momentum shifts and late-game sequences.

What analysts said

Luka Doncic scored 43 as Lakers beat Pacers 137-130 in a game that featured a late Indiana rally that came up just short.

— ESPN and Associated Press game report

Luka Doncic scored 44 points in three quarters to lead the Lakers past the Pacers 128-117 without LeBron James.

— ESPN and Associated Press game report

Confirmed vs Unconfirmed

The following facts are verified from primary ESPN box score and recap data across both games. Specific details around player health, individual minute totals, and advanced metrics beyond the team totals remain outside the scope of confirmed data for this article.

Summary

Two games, two Lakers wins. The March 6 matchup showcased Luka Doncic carrying the offense solo with LeBron out, posting 44 points in three quarters against a Pacers team that shot well from three but could not overcome turnover issues and free-throw inefficiency. The March 25 rematch featured a tighter contest, a 29-point Lakers lead, a late Pacers charge, and enough clutch free-throw shooting to seal a 137-130 win. The common thread is Doncic — 44 and 43 points in consecutive Pacers games, regardless of who’s on the floor for Los Angeles.