On Wednesday, the Indiana Pacers will host the Los Angeles Lakers, who have lost their last three games in a row. Both teams are jockeying for playoff position in their conferences, and with only 11 games left in the regular season, every game matters.
Unfortunately for the Pacers, they might have to play against one of the hottest rookies in the league. After scoring a career-high 17 NBA points against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bronny James returned to the G League, where he scored another G League career-high, racking up 39 points in a win over the Santa Cruz Warriors.
The younger James has been recalled from the G League and will join the team as they take on the Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. His father, LeBron James, is probable to play with a groin injury.
This season, Bronny is averaging 2.3 points and is shooting only 25 percent from deep, but as far as 55th overall picks go, he's managing to stay afloat. He seems to have the hot hand, so if JJ Redick does allow him to play against the Pacers, it will be more a depth move than a publicity stunt.
Indiana is two games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks and three games behind the New York Knicks, so it would seem that their place as the fourth seed is pretty set in stone entering the final stretch of the season.
Related: Bucks' Damian Lillard's Health Scare Significantly Affects Pacers
The Lakers, meanwhile, are the fifth seed in the West but are only a game behind the third-place Denver Nuggets, so they could easily rise (or fall) as the season nears its end.
While Bronny might have the hot hand by his standards, Tyrese Haliburton has been playing out of his mind and Indiana has been elite on defense as of late. The Pacers are 1.5-point underdogs.
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Related: Tyrese Haliburton Is Putting Up Numbers Even John Stockton and Magic Johnson Couldn't Manage
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This story was originally published March 26, 2025 at 8:54 AM.