Lakers vs. Pacers: LA Mocked After Blowing 17-Point Lead, LeBron James Hit with Heavy Trolling
(Photo : Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The Indiana Pacers upset the Los Angeles Lakers on a three-point buzzer-beater from second-round pick Andrew Nembhard to clinch a 17-point rally. Final score: 116-115.

Lakers superstar Russell Westbrook acknowledged the Lakers loss was because the Pacers "made some big shots." The Lakers also struggled to hit their shots and defend the wing in the latter part of the game.

Devastating Loss

The LA Times reported that Westbrook scored nine of his 24 points in the third quarter, extending the Lakers' lead to 16 points, and an assist from Westbrook on a basket by Wenyen Gabriel extended the Lakers' lead to 17 points with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter. 

But the Pacers outscored the Lakers 32-14 from then until the end of regulation to steal the win, re-exposing  late-game weaknesses that the team has yet to solve.

LeBron James struggled making his shots from the midrange and perimeter. With 21 points and 20.9 seconds remaining, LeBron James broke a tie, although he missed 14 of his other attempts in the Lakers vs. Pacers game. After missing a game, Lakers big man Anthony Davis scored 25 points but attempted just two shots in the fourth and missed a crucial free throw.

They just experienced the season's most catastrophic loss. The Indiana Pacers were attempting to get the Lakers to trade two of their best players for draft assets only weeks ago. After that, eight of the Pacers' last 10 games have been victories, and they just shocked the Lakers on the road, according to a CBS Sports story.

Lakers Head Coach Darvin Ham took responsibility for the latest Lakers loss and vowed to improve in keeping the team "organized."

When the Lakers are ahead of their opponents, according to Ham, they tend to lose their composure and become disorganized, per Lakers Nation.

Ham attributed the Pacers' fourth-quarter run to the Lakers' delinquencies to continue to play, move the ball, and grab rebounds. Moreover, crucial issues arose on defense, as the Lakers failed to close out games at home and gave up momentum to the younger Indiana Pacers, which ranks 4th in the Eastern Conference.

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LeBron James Mocked For Being Outplayed by a Rookie

Coach Ham took the blame for the Lakers loss, but critics and fans made fun of LeBron James on social media for not taking charge when it was most important. Particularly during the moment when Nembhard hit the Pacers buzzer-beater--in LBJ's face.

Skip Bayless noted: "NO CLOSER GENE. He finally did make a late layup to give LA a 2-pt lead. But Nembhard, LBJ's man, drained a buzzer 3 to win it."

Moreover, Bennedict Mathurin's remark in a pre-draft interview was brought up again by the media and fans, where in the Pacers player called out the NBA's "King." Mathurin remarked in that interview: "I don't think anybody is better than me. He's going to have to show me he's better than me."

And in their first Lakers vs. Pacers matchup, he put up better numbers than LeBron and beat the NBA icon on his home court.

But before the Lakers vs. Pacers game started, Bennedict Mathurin clarified his earlier statement was misunderstood. He was just expressing confidence in his game and said that LeBron James is "the best ever" in the league.

"Me just coming into the league, I won't say anybody's better than me. That's me being confident," Mathurin said, as per a report from Fan Nation.

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