Entering the weekend, there was excitement about the possibility of Luka Doncic making his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN flexed the Saturday game to accommodate Doncic’s potential debut, but the Lakers ruled him out as he continues to recover from a calf strain. To make matters worse for the national audience, LeBron James was also ruled out due to ankle soreness. Without its two stars, Los Angeles appeared to be a major underdog against a red-hot Indiana Pacers team.
However, the Lakers responded with one of its best performances of the 2024-25 season as they pulled together to beat the Pacers.