Camera catches LeBron James' savage gesture after bonkers shot in Lakers-Pacers (2025)

LeBron James was going through it for most of the Los Angeles Lakers' Wednesday night clash against the Indiana Pacers. There was a point where it looked like his double-digit scoring streak was in real jeopardy as he scuffled through a rough shooting night. But in the end, James went from zero to hero, as he made a tip-in at the buzzer to rescue the Lakers from what would have been an incredibly heartbreaking defeat, returning to winning ways with a 120-119 victory.

James went through one of his worst games of the season on Wednesday, as he shot the ball poorly (4-12 from the field) and didn't make much of an impact in the fourth quarter for the Lakers outside of his scoring barrage to start the period. But when the Lakers needed him the most, James answered the call — with The King punctuating the victory with an epic declaration in the immediate aftermath of his heroics.

“That's ball game!” James declared as the entire Lakers team swarmed him.

This is what makes James such a frightening player to face even if he's already getting up there in age. He's already 40 years old, but he can get the job done when the Lakers need him to. And the Lakers, indeed, needed to bail him out after they almost relinquished a six-point lead to the Pacers in the final minute or so of the ballgame.

It was jarring to see the Lakers let their foot off the gas pedal towards the end of the game, allowing the Pacers to carve them up inside to trim their lead bit by bit. But all's well that ends well, and James proves to be his team's saving grace on the night.

LeBron James, Lakers breathe major sigh of relief

The Lakers entered their Wednesday night contest against the Pacers having lost three games in a row — all by double figures. And they nearly lost a heartbreaker on Wednesday if not for LeBron James' heroics.

For James, he tried to make up for his lackluster shooting night by competing on the glass, playing defense, and dishing the rock while being the emotional rock the Lakers needed to navigate the murky waters in Indiana and come out with a victory.

“After the two weeks [out], it's gonna take a little bit to get my rhythm back offensively… One thing about my game… I can always do other things on the floor to help our team win even when I'm not shooting the ball well,” James said in his postgame interview with ESPN. “Just always stay in the moment. Never get too high, never get too low.”