Malcolm Brogdon drove past LeBron James for the go-ahead layup with 36 seconds left as the Pacers edged the Lakers 105-102 .Domantas Sabonis led Indiana with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Brogdon finished with 14. The Pacers improved to 12-and-3 at home and 19-and-9 overall. The Lakers did not have Anthony Davis, who sat out with an ankle sprain. James finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. LA made only 8-of-17 free throws and took its first loss away from the Staples Center this season. The Lakers had won their previous 14 road games.
In college hoops action, Purdue knocked off Ohio 69-51. Eric Hunter Junior led the Boilermakers with 18 points. On Saturday, the Crossroads Classic tips off at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The top four college basketball teams in the state will meet up for a doubleheader. Indiana faces Notre Dame in the opener before Purdue meets 16th-ranked Butler in the nightcap.
The Colts will have two players representing at the 2020 Pro Bowl next month. Guard Quenton Nelson and linebacker Darius Leonard were voted as starters to the NFL’s annual All-Star Game, which kicks off in Orlando on January 26th. Nelson has started every game for the Colts over the past two years, while Leonard has over 100 tackles, five sacks and four interceptions this year.
