LA the Clippers (30-31) beat Indiana Pacers (15-47) 130-107 at home on Wednesday, March 4. The final margin was 23 points.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Clippers struck first, taking the opening quarter 42-25 and a 17-point lead after one. The Pacers cut into the deficit with a 26-21 second quarter, though the Clippers still led by 12 at halftime.
The Clippers won the third 39-26 to create some separation, taking a 25-point lead into the fourth. The Pacers took the fourth 30-28; the Clippers held on for a 130-107 regulation win.
Why it was lopsided
The Clippers got more from their shots, finishing at 61.8% effective field-goal shooting compared with 48.8% for the Pacers. The Clippers grabbed 15.4% of their own misses, while the Pacers recovered 10.9%. That shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Pacers did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 29.8 against 22.5. The Clippers made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 105 possessions per team, the Clippers produced 124 points per 100 possessions to 102.1 for the Pacers.
The Clippers' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 67-28.
Who stood out
Kawhi Leonard was the game's biggest individual force for LAC: 29 pts, 8 reb, 2 ast on 10-18 shooting. His Game Score of 24.8 led everyone. His team was +14 with him on the floor.
Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 29 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast on 8-14 shooting, good for a 23.4 Game Score.
What it means
The result fit the pre-game Win Meter, which gave the Clippers about a 88% chance.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, Indiana Pacers lead 2-0.
The Clippers are now 30-31, and the Pacers are 15-47. The Clippers last five before this game: L-L-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.