Headline: LeBrons Last-Minute Magic: Lakers Avoid Collapse with Game-Winning Tip-In Against Pacers

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Here’s a brief overview of The Horry Scale: It evaluates a game-winning buzzer-beater (GWBB) across various criteria: the challenge of the shot, the context of the game (was the team ahead, tied, or trailing?), significance (is it a playoff face-off or just a regular November game?), and the post-shot celebration. Finally, we assign an overall score from 1 to 5 Robert Horrys, in honor of the go-to guy for clutch moments.

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LeBron James saved his finest performance of the night for the closing moments on Wednesday.

Despite a rocky start — he had only two points by halftime and reached double digits only midway through the fourth quarter — James stepped up when the Lakers needed him most, scoring the game-winning tip-in to clinch a 120-119 victory over the Pacers in Indianapolis.

With a three-game losing streak (and having lost seven of their last ten), the Lakers found themselves in a tight spot after squandering a 17-point advantage in a match that included eight lead changes and seven ties. Luka Dončić led with 34 points, while Austin Reaves contributed 24, helping the Lakers as they seemed poised for a win until Tyrese Haliburton hit an incredible and-1 shot with 42 seconds remaining, flipping the game in Indiana’s favor and setting the stage for LeBron’s clutch moment.

GAME CONTEXT: After forcing Bennedict Mathurin to miss a 3-pointer with 11 seconds remaining, the Lakers opted against calling a timeout, choosing instead to rely on their star players (while ensuring that Myles Turner and Tyrese Haliburton remained on the bench). The ball found its way to Dončić, who drove into the lane for a floater that missed, but James was in the perfect spot for a tip-in as the final play unfolded.

DIFFICULTY: The tip-in may have been the least complicated shot James made all night. Before this game-winner, he shot 3-for-11 and missed all three of his 3-point tries, not making his first field goal until the fourth quarter. Nonetheless, he positioned himself flawlessly for the decisive moment. He redirected Dončić’s miss, bringing the Lakers back into the win column and igniting a celebration in Indianapolis.

🚨 LEBRON FOR THE WIN 🚨@KingJamestips in the#TissotBuzzerBeater!#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatnesspic.twitter.com/OBpFFuaAPy

— NBA (@NBA)March 27, 2025

CELEBRATION: Following the tip-in, James instantly raised his hand skyward, repeatedly signaling “count it” while also helping Dončić, who had fallen to the ground due to contact from the defender. Reaves was the first to reach him, enveloping him in a bear hug, and soon his teammates surrounded the veteran star, audible saying “That’s ballgame!” as they awaited confirmation that the shot was counted before the final horn sounded. The officials affirmed that the basket counted, sealing the victory for the Lakers.

GRADE: Although the tip-in wasn’t particularly difficult, it was executed by James, who now boasts eight game-winning buzzer-beaters in his career across both regular-season and playoff games, ranking just behind Michael Jordan’s nine. This marked James’ first buzzer-beater with the Lakers and his third against the Pacers in his career. As the Lakers vie for playoff positioning in a competitive Western Conference — currently holding the fourth spot — each win holds significant weight, especially when it comes to securing home-court advantage in the playoffs. Given the match’s significance and its thrilling back-and-forth nature, we’ll assign it a score of 3.5 Horrys.