Lakers vs. Pacers Final Score: Kobe Bryant's late-game heroics fall short in 89-87 loss

The Los Angeles Lakers kept the final score close in a 89-87 loss, but they looked out of sorts most of the night against the Indiana Pacers. Kobe Bryant took over in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 straight points for the Lakers while draining three three-pointers in a row to give the Lakers the lead. The crowd roared behind every shot, but it was too much Paul George down the stretch while the Lakers struggled to execute their offense through the final possessions.

The Lakers shot just 29 percent through the first half, missing everything from everywhere aside from a four-for-four start from Julius Randle. L.A. really let things get away from them coming out of halftime, though, coughing up turnover after turnover while Indiana ran up the court for easy baskets and open threes.

D'Angelo Russell had a very slow start before turning it on late in the third and into the fourth quarter. D'Angelo finished with 16 points, five assists and five rebounds, keeping the Lakers within striking distance while the team struggled in the second half. Randle was a monster on the glass, pulling in 19 rebounds with 15 points for his eighth double-double in 10 games. George scored a team-high 21 points, but made just two of his 10 three-point attempts.

A nice stretch to close the third quarter was enough to make this a game in the final minutes, with Kobe giving Indiana a few clutch baskets to remember was memorable, but a loss is a loss. Neither team played well, but the Pacers were just a little less terrible. The Lakers pack things up and head to Cleveland to face LeBron James on Wednesday in their last game before the All-Star break.