Who would have thought the Lakers would miss another golden opportunity? They lost 90-109 to the Pacers on the road, remaining ninth in the Western Conference, 1.5 games behind the Kings and 2 games behind the Suns.

If they enter the play-in tournament at this ranking, the Lakers will first face the Warriors. Only if they win can they challenge the Kings or Suns, and another win would secure the eighth seed for the playoffs. Then, their first-round opponent is likely the Nuggets, who swept them in last season’s Western Conference Finals. This journey leaves no margin for error—every opponent is tough, and one slip-up could end their season early.

For the Lakers to replicate last season’s miracle and clinch a top-eight spot, the only way is to grab the seventh seed via the play-in tournament.

LeBron James and Anthony Davis know this well. Despite left ankle and left knee injuries, respectively, they played through pain against the Pacers. They were desperate for the win, having dominated the Pacers twice before: a 123-109 blowout in the In-Season Tournament final, and a 5-point home win on March 25th when they scored 150 points.

But the third time wasn’t the charm. The Lakers collapsed in their third meeting with the Pacers.

Looking at the game, the Lakers paid the price for their five-game win streak, especially back-to-back victories over the Bucks and Grizzlies—they were exhausted. Against the Bucks, the game went to overtime, with Davis playing 52 minutes, D’Angelo Russell 50, and Austin Reaves 48. Against the Grizzlies (with Davis resting), LeBron and Reaves each logged over 35 minutes. Flying from Memphis to Indianapolis with just one day off was nowhere near enough to recover.

The Lakers committed 16 turnovers against the Pacers, 10 from LeBron and Reaves alone—more than the Pacers’ total of 8. These weren’t forced by Indiana’s defense; they were unforced errors from sheer lack of focus.

Turnovers weren’t the only issue. The Lakers also couldn’t hit threes. After rallying past the Bucks, Davis said a 19-point lead “means nothing” these days, but a comeback requires making triples—and in Indiana, the Lakers were ice-cold from deep.

Trailing by 14 entering the fourth quarter, Reaves hit a three to spark hope, and they cut the deficit to 7. But then their three-point shooting dried up. LeBron, Russell, and Reaves all missed, allowing the Pacers to pull away again. Rui Hachimura hit a three with 2:28 left, but it was too little, too late. The Lakers shot just 5-of-30 from deep, a miserable 16.7%.

Davis went 9-of-17 for 24 points and 15 rebounds; LeBron had 16 points, 10 boards, and 8 assists; Reaves added 16 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. But others couldn’t keep up. Russell shot 3-of-14 (0-of-6 from three), and the bench totaled just 14 points—while Pacers sub T.J. McConnell had 16 alone.

Looking at the Lakers’ season, it’s had three phases:

1. The In-Season Tournament, where they dominated through the final.
2. Mid-December to January, when they lost to almost everyone, including an 8-10 stretch that dropped them to the play-in zone.
3. After the All-Star break, especially in March, where they went 10-4 before facing the Pacers, looking like a top-four team again.

This inconsistency boils down to fatigue. They can grind out a win, but then immediately pay with a loss. The Lakers haven’t sustained many win streaks this season; their five-game streak before the Pacers was their longest.

So the real worry isn’t losing to the Pacers—it’s whether this loss is the end or the start of another losing streak.

The concerns persist:

1. Fatigue: Four Lakers starters played over 35 minutes vs. the Pacers, including Davis’ 38. Coach Darvin Ham didn’t pull the starters until the Lakers trailed by 19 with 2:08 left.
2. Mental state: The Lakers were desperate to close the gap on the Suns and Kings, so the loss was demoralizing—LeBron even headed to the locker room early.

Will the Lakers’ hopes of reaching the top eight fade away?

The Suns and Kings gave a sliver of hope. The Suns lost 103-128 to the Thunder, now leading the Lakers by 2 games. Both have eight games left, but the Suns face tougher opponents: two games each against the Pelicans, Timberwolves, and Clippers, plus the Cavaliers and Kings. If the Suns win just four of those eight, the Lakers could leapfrog them—especially since LA leads the head-to-head 3-1.

The Kings, who blew a late lead to lose 103-107 to the Mavs at home, are 1.5 games up. Since they swept the Lakers in the regular season, the Lakers can only pass them if the Kings lose one more game than LA. With nine games left, the Kings are less likely to collapse than the Suns.

Thus, the Lakers’ last hope is to win two more games than the Suns in their final eight.

It’s tough but not impossible. The Lakers’ remaining schedule: road games vs. the Nets, Raptors, and Wizards (with back-to-backs vs. Toronto and Washington); home games vs. the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Warriors (back-to-back vs. Cleveland and Minnesota); and final road games vs. the Grizzlies and Pelicans.

Optimistically, the Lakers can afford two losses. They might need to concede one at home, but the final game at New Orleans could be tricky if the Pelicans are still chasing the fourth seed. The Lakers can’t afford to burn out—this is a long season, and they can’t treat every game like a win-or-go-home In-Season Tournament final. Sometimes, they need to hit the brakes.

In short, the first mini-goal is a road three-game winning streak. If they get it, hope lives on; if not, the eighth seed—and even a playoff spot—could be on the line.

But the Lakers can’t overthink.

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton’s postgame words could inspire them: “If you focus on the standings, on playoff spots, on your opponents, you’ll lose the current game. We’ve seen that too many times this season.”

The Lakers need to add support on the court to ease their stars’ workload. Vincent could return against the Nets on April 1st, bringing some perimeter spark. Off the court, they need to subtract the pressure.

In the end, to chase the eighth seed, they must first forget about it. Hope isn’t magic—it’s a matter of strategy.