Late Wendell Carter Jr. Putback Lifts Magic in 110-109 Lakers Vs Magic Thriller

In a one-point finish that decided a West Coast swing, the Orlando Magic beat the Los Angeles Lakers 110-109 on Feb 24, 2026 in Los Angeles — a result that kept the lakers vs magic matchup in headlines and reshaped short-term standings for both clubs.

Lakers Vs Magic: Game Recap

Wendell Carter Jr. made a go-ahead putback with 6. 7 seconds to play, and Paolo Banchero scored 36 points as Orlando finished a strong West Coast trip with a 110-109 victory over the Lakers on Tuesday night in Los Angeles. LeBron James missed a fallaway 3-point attempt on the final shot by the Lakers.

The loss left Los Angeles having gone 4-4 on a disappointing homestand that spanned the All-Star break. The Lakers have lost four of six and have fallen into sixth place in the Western Conference, a slide that included repeated failures to beat playoff-caliber teams.

Sequence of Key Late Moments

Orlando rallied from an early double-digit deficit to take a five-point lead with 5 1/2 minutes left. Rui Hachimura hit a tiebreaking 3-pointer for the Lakers with 2: 14 to play, then Desmond Bane drilled a go-ahead 3 with 34. 6 seconds left.

Luka Doncic found LeBron James under the basket for a dunk that reclaimed the lead for Los Angeles. After Carter scored on the Magic's second offensive rebound of their final possession, Doncic belatedly got the ball to James, whose desperation shot did not fall, leaving Carter's putback as the decisive play.

Individual Performances and Availability Notes

• Paolo Banchero: 36 points for Orlando.
• Wendell Carter Jr.: 20 points and 12 rebounds, including the late go-ahead putback with 6. 7 seconds left.
• Desmond Bane: 22 points for the Magic.
• Luka Doncic: 22 points and 15 assists for the Lakers.
• LeBron James: 21 points; missed the final fallaway 3-point attempt on the last shot.
• Deandre Ayton: 21 points for Los Angeles.
• Austin Reaves: all 18 of his points came in the second half.
• Orlando starting guard Jalen Suggs missed his third straight game with a back strain (availability listed as missed).
• Lakers backup center Jaxson Hayes remained out with an ankle injury (availability listed as out).

Team Trends, Standings Impact and Game Dynamics

The Magic have won six of eight overall and took three of four on the road out of the break; this victory marked their fourth consecutive win over the Lakers and moved Orlando within a half-game of sixth place in the Eastern Conference. The Lakers' recent skid—four losses in six games—has dropped them to sixth in the West.

The contest stayed tight through three quarters due to Los Angeles' turnovers and Orlando's poor 3-point shooting; the late sequence of rebounds and clutch shots ultimately decided the outcome.

Pregame Questions and Player-Props Context

Before the matchup there was a pregame headline questioning whether Luka Doncic would play against the Orlando Magic on Feb 24, 2026. In the build to the game, a player-props piece highlighted five underdog-style prop candidates for the matchup, naming Desmond Bane and LeBron James among the top plays.

That props coverage noted several recent trends tied to players in this game: Bane had scored 34 and 36 points in his previous two games entering the matchup and, in his last four career games against Los Angeles, he recorded 21 or more points three times. Paolo Banchero had reached eight or more rebounds just once in three of his last four games; in five career games versus the Lakers he had not reached eight rebounds in any outing. Los Angeles was noted as allowing the second-fewest rebounds per game at 48. 9.

On playmaking lines, LeBron James had hit the under on an assist line set at 6. 5 in his last five games entering the contest, despite having multiple games on the season of 10 or more assists. The Magic were described as allowing the eighth-fewest assists per game at 25. 2, and over their last three games had been allowing just 20. 0 assists per game.

What This Means Next

The narrow loss compounds pressure on the Lakers to reverse a slide against quality opponents, while the Magic leave the West Coast trip with momentum and a climb toward the middle of the Eastern Conference. Injuries noted for both teams—Suggs out with a back strain and Hayes sidelined by an ankle injury—remain part of each club's immediate planning. Recent coverage that previewed player props and Luka Doncic's availability framed several of the statistical storylines that played out on the floor.

Details may evolve in coming days as teams adjust rotations and manage injuries, and the immediate standings impact will be reflected in each conference's tight middle tier.