In the win over the Indiana Pacers, the Los Angeles Lakers received a strong performance from Josh Hart off the bench.
Thursday nights win over the Indiana Pacers was an interesting game to watch for the Los Angeles Lakers. To start the game, the Lakers came out and absolutely blitzed the Pacers.
After the first quarter was over, the Lakers had a 38-15 lead, and it looked like it was going to be an easy night. However, as good as the first quarter was for the Lakers, the second quarter was almost equally as bad.
At halftime the Lakers’ large lead had nearly disappeared, as they were up by just six points. Luckily, the Lakers were able to win the second half and walk out with an eight-point win. In the win, LeBron James had one of his best games as a Laker, as he totaled 38 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
While James played great, he didn’t get a lot of help from the other starters. Only Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma were in double figures, but the bench helped make up for that.
One of the key players in the win was Josh Hart. For the past few games, Hart has been dealing with a bit of an ankle issue, but he looked really good on Thursday night. In the win, Hart totaled 13 points on six-for-seven shooting from the field and also had three steals.
What many will like to see is that Hart played 25 minutes off the bench. Hart’s minutes have been a bit inconsistent this season, but when healthy, Hart should be playing 25-30 minutes a night.
When he was in the game, Hart brought a noticeable spark on both ends of the court, which the Lakers needed when their lead evaporated. Hart continues to prove that he is an important part of this team, and he should be getting more consistent minutes moving forward.