The Los Angeles Lakers entered their Friday night battle against the Indiana Pacers in a bit of a roll; they won their past five games, including an impressive double-overtime win over the Milwaukee Bucks this past Tuesday despite LeBron James' absence. However, the Pacers stopped the Lakers in their tracks, holding them to a putrid shooting night from the field en route to a 109-90 loss for the Purple and Gold.

It seemed as though the Lakers were already approaching playoff mode, sensing blood in the water with the Phoenix Suns in the middle of a tough stretch, and the Dallas Mavericks and Sacramento Kings continuing to exchange haymakers. But James and company can only do so much when their shots aren't falling; they missed 25 of their 30 attempts from beyond the arc, a putrid 5-30 showing that is difficult to overcome mathematically.

“We've been shooting the ball exceptionally from the outside for the last few months, but tonight we just didn't have it,” James said, per Lakers Nation on Twitter (X). “Give credit where credit is due. [The Pacers] extended their defense, but we missed some really good looks as well.”

The lack of consistency from the team's supporting cast is what caps the Lakers' ceiling; LeBron James can still put pressure on the opposing rim with the best of them, but it'll still be difficult for him to be dominant if the opponent can simply load up on him in the paint without fear of allowing threes.

The Lakers' woeful shooting from deep wasn't their only undoing against the Pacers, however.

Lakers are their own worst enemy

When shots aren't falling, teams must still find a way to generate points on the board. The Lakers have frustrated plenty of teams with their ability to secure free-throw disparities on a consistent basis, but they only shot four more free throws than the Pacers did, which shows how Indiana was able to pack the paint with confidence, baiting 3-point shots that simply did not fall.

But even then, if teams can't throw a pebble onto the ocean, the least they can do is take care of the basketball. The Lakers gave the ball away 16 times compared to the Pacers' 10, something that simply must not happen especially for a veteran team.

Per Lakers Nation, LeBron James also called the team out for being “careless”, and that they must do whatever they can to avoid “unforced turnovers”.

It's easier to accept a defeat if they put up an effort worthy of a victory. But for Anthony Davis, the way they played was an even greater source of frustration knowing how capable they can be of being a dominant team when everything is clicking.

“Teams can play well and beat us. I think it’s the way we lost tonight that is a wasted opportunity,” Davis said, per Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

LeBron James in the heat of the playoff race

If there's one thing the Lakers can hold onto moving forward, it's that they have LeBron James on the roster. James might be 39 years old already, but he remains one of the best players in the NBA who steps up his game at the most crucial moments.

James and the Lakers were able to stand on business during the NBA In-Season Tournament, winning the inaugural NBA Cup despite going up against a gauntlet of difficult opponents. Expect the same motivated version of James to show up in the coming weeks.