Lakers look to halt woes in matchup with soaring Pacers

The visiting Los Angeles Lakers will look to rely on their superstars to pull them out of a slump on Wednesday, when they face the surging Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.Los Angeles (43-28) has dropped three in a row and seven of 10 entering play, as it desperately tries to hold on to a top-four seed in the tightly-packed Western Conference standings. Only three games separate the Lakers from the Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves, teams currently in the first play-in round.On the first night of a four-game road trip, Los Angeles fell 118-106 to the Orlando Magic, despite receiving a combined 56 points from Luka Doncic and LeBron James. Doncic, who scored 32 points Monday and has posted more than 30 points in five of six games, knows the Lakers can’t afford to fall out of a top-six guaranteed playoff spot.”We’ve just got to get into the playoffs first. There’s nothing guaranteed in this league,” Doncic said. “I think we’ve got to talk more as a team. I’ve got to talk more. I need to get everybody in position and be a good leader. I’m still new to the team, but I’m getting comfortable talking more and more.”In 18 games since being traded to Los Angeles, Doncic is averaging 27.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game. James adds 24.9 ppg, 8.4 apg and 8.1 rpg.James (left groin strain) is listed as probable.Indiana (42-29), winners in five straight, can match its longest winning streak of the season with a home victory Wednesday. After their previous four wins came down to the wire, the Pacers earned a stress-free 119-103 win Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.A reliable source of offense for Indiana has come from Obi Toppin, who’s averaging 16.8 points in the Pacers’ five-game winning streak and is shooting 46 percent on 3-pointers in March.