Magic Vs Lakers: Botched final play between Luka, LeBron dooms magic vs lakers
The Lakers’ eighth-game homestand, played over three weeks because of the weeklong All-Star break, ended in a 110-109 loss to the Orlando Magic after Luka Doncic passed up a shot and made a hurried pass to LeBron James, who missed a buzzer-beater. The defeat left the Lakers 34-23 overall and 16-12 at home, and pushed them into sixth place in the Western Conference.
Homestand and season context
The eight-game homestand the Lakers played over three weeks because of the weeklong All-Star break was meant to build connectivity, but the team instead floundered at Crypto. com Arena, playing. 500 basketball (4-4) there. The Lakers opened the homestand with wins over Philadelphia and Golden State, lost back-to-back games to Oklahoma City and San Antonio, beat Dallas and the Clippers and then finished it off with losses to Boston and Orlando.
Late game sequence and timeline
The fourth quarter was a tight, back-and-forth stretch in which each possession felt decisive. Rui Hachimura drilled a three-pointer from the corner off a pass from Luka Doncic with 2: 14 left. Paolo Banchero scored and was fouled by Deandre Ayton; Banchero missed the free throw, leaving the Lakers ahead 106-105 with 1: 18 left. LeBron James went to work in the post over the smaller Anthony Black, drew a foul and made just one of two free throws for a 107-105 Lakers lead.
Desmond Bane answered with a three-pointer for a 108-107 Magic lead that forced the Lakers to call timeout with 34. 6 seconds left. James scored on a dunk for a 109-108 Lakers lead. Banchero missed a jumper, but Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed an offensive rebound and scored for a 110-109 Magic lead with 6. 7 seconds left. One account described the putback as coming with seven seconds left.
Key performances and statistics
LeBron James finished with 21 points on eight-for-13 shooting, six rebounds and four assists. Luka Doncic finished with 22 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds, shooting 8 of 24 from the field. Paolo Banchero led the Magic with 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and went 10 of 11 on free throws. Wendell Carter Jr. finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds; Desmond Bane had 22 points and six assists.
Deandre Ayton had his first 20-point game in nearly a month, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Austin Reaves had 18 points (6-of-16 shooting) after a slow start. The Magic scored 58 points in the paint and had 15 second-chance points compared to the Lakers’ 50 points in the paint and eight second-chance points.
Execution, turnovers and decisions
The final sequence began when Doncic passed up a deep 3-point attempt before making the hurried pass to James; LeBron then missed an errant 3 before the buzzer. One sequence noted that when LeBron missed a free throw with 45 seconds left the Lakers were leading 107-105 and had a chance to go up by three, but after that miss Bane made a 3-pointer to put the Magic up 108-107 with 35 seconds left. James’ dunk then pushed the Lakers back to a 109-108 lead before Carter’s game-winner.
The loss ended the Lakers’ streak of victories after having a lead going into the fourth quarter. The Lakers entered Tuesday 25-0 after starting the fourth with a lead. The team suffered back-to-back losses for the second time in the last six games and fell to 34-23 on the season, dropping to the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference while the Timberwolves moved ahead at 36-23.
Coaching, front office and reactions
Coach JJ Redick spoke bluntly about the club’s state, saying, “We’re a work in progress. ” He added, “They were able to get to the basket consistently in the second half and really put pressure on our rim” and “And then Banchero made a lot of jumpers. ” New Lakers executive Lon Rosen said he hopes season ticket holders will “renew” them despite the enormous increase for next season.
When asked why the Lakers haven’t been a strong home team this season, James said, “I don’t know, ” and added, “Just haven’t been a good home team. ” On a related note about Deandre Ayton, one line in coverage said, “Deandre Ayton has the talent and skills, and the Lakers are searching for the right ways to maximize what he can offer. ”
Magic Vs Lakers aftermath
The game’s closing moments and a botched late decision by Doncic that led to a hurried LeBron attempt were central to the outcome. The matchup finished 110-109 in favor of Orlando after Wendell Carter Jr. ’s game-winning putback layup, and one piece of coverage summarized the result in plain terms: “That’s how many missed free throws the Lakers had against the Magic. ”
The Lakers now face questions about execution in late-game situations, roster fit and how to convert home-court opportunities into wins as the season progresses.
