Another Heartbreaker: LeBron’s Buzzer-Beater Stuns Pacers as Coaching Decision Sparks Outrage

Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis

LeBron James has done it again. Just when Pacers fans thought they had escaped the King’s wrath, he delivered yet another gut-wrenching moment, crushing their hopes with a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer. The Lakers walked out of Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a stunning 120-119 victory, snapping the Pacers’ five-game winning streak and leaving Indiana fans in disbelief.

Tyrese Haliburton, the maestro with 18 assists on the night, was on the bench when it mattered most. And not because of foul trouble or injury—because of a decision. A decision that will be debated for weeks.

With 42 seconds left and a 119-118 lead, coach Rick Carlisle opted for defense, subbing in rookie Jarace Walker for Haliburton. The strategy worked initially, as Walker forced a miss and grabbed the rebound with 33 seconds to play. But when the moment called for a timeout to get Haliburton back in for the final possession, Carlisle let his team play it out.

The result? A chaotic, low-percentage three from Bennedict Mathurin with 11 seconds remaining. The Lakers snatched the rebound and, after a Luka Doncic miss, LeBron was there to clean it up at the rim. Ball game. Silence. Devastation.

After the loss, Carlisle admitted he considered calling timeout but ultimately stuck with the lineup on the floor. “Looking back at it now, certainly would have been the thing to do, given the result,” he said, owning up to the costly choice. But his explanation did little to calm the storm brewing among fans, who were left wondering: Why take the ball out of your best player’s hands with the game on the line?

Meanwhile, Haliburton was left helpless at the scorer’s table, waiting for a whistle that never came. “I’m sure if we can have it back, we probably want to call a timeout there,” he admitted postgame, his words cutting deep for Pacers faithful.

This wasn’t just a loss—it was a gut punch, a brutal déjà vu of LeBron tormenting Indiana yet again. And in the aftermath, one question lingers: Did the Pacers outsmart themselves out of a win?