3 takeaways from the Indiana Pacers stunning win over the Los Angeles Lakers

The Pacers stunned LeBron James and the Lakers in Los Angeles.

The Indiana Pacers trailed the Los Angeles Lakers by 17 points with 9:30 to go in the fourth quarter of their game on Monday night. It was 101-84 after a strong start to the final frame from LA, and the Pacers were struggling to put the ball in the basket.

In the final 9:30 of the game, though, the blue and gold scored 32 points and held the Lakers to just 14. The Pacers hit 12 shots in that stretch, including six threes, and controlled the glass. They slowly but surely cut into the Lakers lead and were down just two points in the final moments.

With just a few seconds left on the clock, Myles Turner launched a three that would have given the Pacers a late lead. He missed it, but the ball ricocheted back to point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who dribbled into the heart of the defense.

Haliburton then swung the ball over to rookie guard Andrew Nembhard, who drilled a 25-foot jumper over LeBron James to give the Pacers a thrilling victory. Video of the final shot can be found here.

"Just try to stay ten toes down and keep working," Nembhard said on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast after the game.

The Pacers improved to 12-8 and grabbed a much-needed win. They bounced back after an off night in LA on Sunday against the Clippers and have some momentum heading into their upcoming five games on the road.

Such a dramatic game saw many highs and lows, which means there are some big takeaways for the Pacers.

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Tyrese Haliburton is an All-Star.

Only one player in the NBA is averaging more than ten assists per game, and it's Haliburton, who currently is averaging 11.3 dimes per contest. On a per game basis, the Pacers star point guard is tossing nearly two more assists than the player with the second most (Trae Young) in the league.

In Haliburton's last three games, he has 40 assists and zero turnovers, an incredible run. And he's averaging 20 points per game in that stretch. He's playing All-Star level basketball this season, and he did again on Monday.

Haliburton finished the game with 24 points and 14 assists. Indiana won his minutes by five, and he had five points and three assists in the final quarter. Every time the blue and gold have needed Haliburton this season, he has delivered. That's what All-Stars do.

Andrw Nembhard is a key piece.

Nembhard was out for four games with a knee injury prior to playing on Monday, and he was missed as the team went 2-2 in his absence. In Los Angeles, he reminded everyone of what he can be at his best.

The 31st overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft finished with 12 points, four rebounds, and two blocks off the bench. He defended incredibly well, including a few strong possessions containing King James. And, of course, he hit the game-winning shot at the final buzzer.

Indiana's offense has been better with the rookie guard on the court all season long, and it was again on Monday. He glues lineups together and is one of the team's better perimeter defenders. His season will contain ups and downs, as is the case for many first year players. But at his best, Nembhard is a key piece for the Pacers.

Rebounding continues to be an issue for the Pacers.

Had the Pacers ended up losing this game, rebounding would have been a big reason why. Indiana was outrebounded 57-49 and conceded 18 offensive rebounds, which gave the purple and gold too many extra possessions.

Indiana has been outrebounded in six of their last ten games, and significantly so in a few of those outings. The team has slipped in that area after a decent start on the glass and now ranks 22nd in defensive rebound rate.

The Pacers look passive on long rebounds and have strayed away from their early-season principles. They must focus on improvement on the boards in coming games.

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