The Los Angeles Lakers nearly blew an early lead again, but they were able to muster up enough strength to hold off the Indiana Pacers’ late-game rally and win 104-96 Friday at Staples Center.
The Lakers went up by as much as 23 points in the first quarter, the team’s biggest first-quarter lead since 2004, according to Lakers media relations. They started the game leading 13-0.
However, much like their last two games, L.A.’s energy leveled out after the first quarter and the Pacers were able to sneak back into the game, cutting the deficit to as low as one point with less than five minutes in the fourth quarter.