But then came Bryant's turnaround.
"He stayed with it and made some plays for us down the stretch," Jackson said.
But then came Bryant's turnaround.
"He stayed with it and made some plays for us down the stretch," Jackson said.
Beyond the final score, the game didn't come without tense moments for the Lakers.
Trevor Ariza was called for a technical foul in the fourth quarter after glowering at Granger while the Pacers forward was down on the court after Ariza fouled him. Jackson and Ariza then exchanged words on the bench after a timeout.
Then Vladimir Radmanovic was called for a technical foul after appearing to swipe at Foster after the two got tangled up while going for a rebound with 58.8 seconds left and the Lakers ahead, 117-114.
"Both Vlade and Trevor had a little bit of my ire at the end of the game because of the technicals that they got," Jackson said. "You have to control your emotions in this game and both were emotional outbursts. We don't think there's any place for it, especially at the end of the game in situations like that."
Indiana was also in a feisty mood. With 47 seconds left, Granger fouled out of the game and had to be restrained by Pacers Coach Jim O'Brien after yelling at the referees.
In the end, the Lakers escaped, but just barely.
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mike.bresnahan@latimes.com