Lakers fade in second half of 104-92 loss to Pacers

The Lakers competed for a half against the NBA’s top team, but the Indiana Pacers easily pulled away to win, 104-92.

David West led the Pacers with 19 points. Both Lance Stephenson and Roy Hibbert notched double-doubles. Stephenson scored 15 points with 14 rebounds. Hibbert had 11 and 10, respectively.

All-Star Paul George finished with 14 points, six assists and five rebounds, but shot just 4 for 21 from the field. The Pacers hit just 42.9% from the field, but dominated the offensive glass 17-7.

Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks led the Lakers with 21 points each. Gasol also collected 13 rebounds.

Kendall Marshall and Jordan Hill also contributed double-doubles. Marshall finished with 11 points and 13 assists. Off the bench, Hill scored 10 with 12 rebounds.

Nick Young struggled against the Pacers’ defense, scoring 12 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Manny Harris, making his Staples Center debut as a Laker, didn’t score on six missed attempts.

The Lakers shot just 39.4% from the field and 20.8% from three-point range (5-24).

Indiana turned the ball over four times while forcing nine from the Lakers. Overall, the Pacers had 63 rebounds to the Lakers’ 50.

The Lakers (17-29) are off until Friday night, when they host the Charlotte Bobcats (19-27).

The Pacers (35-9) return home to host the Phoenix Suns (26-18) on Thursday.

Pacers 79, Lakers 69 (end of third quarter)

All-Star Paul George hit a three-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pacers’ their biggest lead of the game -- a 10-point lead over the Lakers.

George scored 11 points with six assists and five rebounds for Indiana. Lance Stephenson notched a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lakers were led by Pau Gasol with 17 points. Jordan Hill notched a double-double off the bench with 10 points and 12 rebounds.

Indiana shot 44.7% from the field, with a 12-3 advantage on the offensive glass. The Lakers hit 41.4% from the field with eight turnovers.

The Pacers turned the ball over just three times through 36 minutes.

Lakers 49, Pacers 49 (halftime)

Jordan Hill hit a reverse layup to tie the game at 49 heading into halftime against the Pacers.

Pau Gasol led all scorers with 10 points, followed by Hill off the bench with eight.

The Lakers shot 48.9% from the field against one of the top defensive teams in the league. The Pacers shot just 40.4%, but had a 9-1 advantage on the offensive glass.

David West scored nine points to lead Indiana. Guard Lance Stephenson scored five but had a game-high eight rebounds.

Kendall Marshall scored seven points with eight assists in 19 1/2 minutes.

Pacers 22, Lakers 19 (end of first quarter)

After falling behind by seven points, the Lakers held the Pacers to just five points over the final 4 1/2 minutes to finish the first quarter down three.

Kendall Marshall and David West each scored seven points to lead their respective teams. The Lakers shot only 39.1% from the field, but held they the Pacers to 38.5%.

Indiana managed three more shot attempts with four offensive rebounds to just one for the Lakers.

Pau Gasol contributed four points. Roy Hibbert had six for Indiana.

Pregame

The Lakers (16-29) host the Indiana Pacers (34-9) on Tuesday night at Staples Center.

It’s the worst defensive team in the league vs. the best -- the Pacers have continued from last season’s strong playoff run to lead the NBA with a 79.1% winning percentage.

The Lakers have lost four straight, continuing to play without Kobe Bryant (knee), Steve Nash (back), Steve Blake (elbow), Jordan Farmar (hamstring) and Xavier Henry (knee).

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.