Lakers Look to Bounce Back Against Struggling Pacers

The Lakers begin a crucial five-game home stand against an injury-plagued Indiana team.

Mar. 6, 2026 at 7:33am

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

After dropping Thursday's game to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers will return home to begin a five-game home stand, starting with a matchup against the struggling Indiana Pacers on Friday. The Pacers are lottery-bound this season after losing star Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury, and they currently rank last in the league in offense. The Lakers will look to take advantage and bounce back with a strong performance at Crypto.com Arena.

Why it matters

This home stand represents an important opportunity for the Lakers to build momentum and solidify their playoff positioning in the Western Conference. A win against the Pacers would give them a positive start to this stretch of games at home.

The details

Without Haliburton, the Pacers have struggled mightily on offense, averaging just 111.4 points per game, which ranks last in the NBA. Outside of Pascal Siakam, they don't have many consistent scoring threats. The Lakers should be able to take advantage in the paint and on the defensive end, as the Pacers also lack the rim protection to slow down Los Angeles' main players.

  • The Lakers and Pacers will tip off at Crypto.com Arena on Friday, March 6, 2026.

The players

Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers are looking to bounce back after a close loss to the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night.

Indiana Pacers

The Pacers are a lottery-bound team this season after losing star Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury.

Pascal Siakam

Siakam is the Pacers' main scoring threat, but the team lacks consistent offensive production outside of him.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“This home stand represents an important opportunity for the Lakers to build momentum and solidify their playoff positioning in the Western Conference.”

— Nicole Ganglani, Author

What’s next

The Lakers will look to carry the momentum from a potential win over the Pacers into the rest of their five-game home stand, which includes matchups against the Clippers, Mavericks, Grizzlies, and Suns.

The takeaway

The Lakers have a prime opportunity to bounce back from their loss to the Nuggets and start their crucial home stand on a high note against an undermanned Pacers team. A convincing win would give them confidence and help solidify their playoff positioning in the West.