The Lakers and Pacers had a barn burner of a game Sunday night, with the Lakers coming out on top in a 150-145 win. It was a huge win for the Lakers, who created some more space between them and the Warriors, the occupants the No. 10 spot in the Western Conference. If the Play-In Tournament started today, L.A. would host Golden State in that 9/10 matchup, an important advantage to have at this point in the season.
However, after the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle brought up the glaring free-throw disparity between the two teams, saying it was "impossible to overcome."
"Thought our guys really battled in this game, there were just certain things that were impossible to overcome," Carlisle said. "The 27 free-throw differential is one, and the 17 foul differential is the other. And I'll leave it at that."
The Lakers attempted 43 free throws, while the Pacers had 16, and it's not the first time this season that a team has been outspoken about the uneven whistle when they play against the L.A. In January, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic went on a memorable rant after losing to the Lakers in which he said the foul and free-throw disparity is a "shame for the league" while also questioning officials.
And when you use a wider lens to look at the free throw advantage the Lakers are getting this season, you'll notice a wide disparity between them and the other 29 teams in the league.
Over the course of the season the Lakers have a league leading +420 free throw attempt differential. For comparison, the Milwaukee Bucks who rank second in that category, are far behind at +222. And on the other end of the spectrum, the Pacers are last in the league in free-throw differential with a -377.
While the free-throw disparity against the Lakers is jarring to look at on paper, the Pacers do send opponents to the line more than anyone in the league, allowing 26.1 free-throw attempts a game. And on the other end they rank 23rd in the free-throw attempts, so every night -- not just against the Lakers -- Indiana typically loses the battle at the charity stripe.
We'll have to see if Carlisle gets fined for his remarks after the game, because Rajakovic did receive a $25,000 fine for his rant. But given that Carlisle didn't call out the officials directly and instead just called attention to the free-throw attempts, he may not get anything at all.
