LeBron James saves day as putback at buzzer lifts Lakers.

LeBron James may have tipped in the game-winning shot at the buzzer, lifting the Los Angeles Lakers to a 120-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, 26th March, but the Lakers star admitted he wasn’t sure how to react when his teammates surrounded him in celebration.

"I really couldn't have too much emotion because I was trying to see if I got the ball off in time, to be honest," James said after the game. "But after they showed the replay on it, it was definitely gratifying."

An official review confirmed that James' right hand made contact with the ball with 0.2 seconds remaining, redirecting Luka Doncic's missed floater through the hoop as time expired.

The dramatic win snapped the Lakers' three-game losing streak while also ending the Pacers' five-game winning streak. It also marked James' eighth career buzzer-beater, tying him with Kobe Bryant and Joe Johnson for the second-most in NBA history, behind only Michael Jordan (nine).

"Just shows you what he's about," said Lakers guard Austin Reaves. "He's a winner at heart. That's really it."

The thrilling finish capped a wild fourth quarter in which the Pacers erased a 13-point deficit to tie the game. After falling behind by six with 1:51 remaining, Indiana took the lead with 42 seconds left following an and-one by Tyrese Haliburton (16 points, 18 assists).

"It felt like a game we won three times and we lost three times, but we ended up winning it," Lakers head coach JJ Redick said. "It's hard to win in the NBA, and especially against a great team like Indiana. They don’t get enough credit nationally. They’re a phenomenal team."

The Lakers swept their season series with the Pacers. All five L.A. starters scored in double figures, led by Doncic’s 34 points and Reaves' 24.

James' fourth-quarter heroics followed what was arguably the quietest offensive night of his career through the first three quarters. Entering the fourth, he had only three points on 0-for-6 shooting, marking the first time in 1,553 regular-season games that he was held without a field goal in the first three quarters when playing the entire time.

"You don’t really know if you’re in a rhythm or out of rhythm with just six shot attempts," James said. "It’s about finding ways to still impact the game."

James quickly found his rhythm in the fourth, scoring eight of the Lakers’ first 10 points and extending his streak of 10 or more points to 1,283 consecutive games. He finished with 13 points, a team-high 13 rebounds, and 7 assists in 38 minutes, marking his third game back after missing two weeks due to a left groin strain.

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (14 points, 4 rebounds) also had his best performance since returning from a 12-game absence due to left knee tendinopathy, knocking down two crucial back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth to give L.A. a six-point lead with less than two minutes left.

"As a team, getting back into our rhythm is tough," Hachimura said. "We still know what we’re capable of, but we’ve got 10 games left, so we need to get back to our rhythm before the playoffs."

With the win, the Lakers (44-28) are now sitting at No. 4 in the Western Conference, just one game behind the third-seeded Denver Nuggets and virtually tied with the fifth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers’ four-game road trip continues Thursday in Chicago and wraps up in Memphis on Saturday. The victory over Indiana served as a reminder that every game and every second will be crucial in the final stretch of the season.

"The game is never over until it hits zeroes on the clock," James said. "And just keeping our composure throughout it all."