Magic Vs Lakers: magic vs lakers — Months of Magic’s cultivated trust shone in final minute of close win
magic vs lakers ended as a 110-109 Orlando comeback in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, capped by Desmond Bane’s go-ahead 3 off a pass from Paolo Banchero with 35. 4 seconds remaining. The victory came after a double-overtime buzzer loss to the Phoenix Suns’ Jalen Green on Saturday and a separate game in which the LA Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin had a final-shot chance but failed to capitalize.
Magic Vs Lakers final minute
Orlando completed the 110-109 comeback when Bane’s 3 — a shot he stepped into with confidence — forced a Lakers timeout with 34. 6 seconds left. The sequence began when Banchero rebounded a missed free throw by LeBron James with 42. 3 seconds on the clock and the Magic trailing by two. Banchero, the top pick in the 2022 draft, already had 36 points, his most in four weeks and his second-most of the season.
Banchero’s rebound and decision
On the ensuing possession Banchero used a screen from center Wendell Carter Jr. and got two feet in the paint. Instead of attempting a shot or trying to score through contact, Banchero decided there was a better option outside. "It was kind of a bang-bang play, " Banchero said. He described Dell setting the screen, then facing Deandre Ayton one-on-one and hesitating long enough to read the defense. Banchero said he saw LeBron James tag Wendell "because Ayton was in front of me, " and that he thought, "Okay, he left. "
Bane’s go-ahead 3, 35. 4 seconds
Desmond Bane, a 39 percent 3-point shooter who had missed six of his first seven attempts that night, was left open when both corners were filled on the possession. Anthony Black, who was struggling with his shot, was on the weak side. Tristan da Silva, who made 3-of-5 3s, kept the defending Rui Hachimura from straying too far on the strong side. "Paolo creates a problem every time he steps on the floor, " Bane said. "Getting guys involved, touching the paint. He drove, the defense collapsed, and he got trust in everybody. " Bane added, "I stepped into it with confidence and knocked it down. " He also noted, "That’s how the game goes, you know. You can’t make every single shot. Just stay with it, and keep trusting it. "
Late sequence and Lakers’ response
The Magic still had work to do after Bane’s 3. Luka Dončić set up Rui Hachimura for a corner 3-point attempt that missed everything, and the Magic failed to rebound the errant shot. On the ensuing baseline out-of-bounds play, Dončić found a cutting LeBron James for a go-ahead dunk, a play set up when Anthony Black failed to help Jonathan Isaac off a Reaves back screen. On the same night LeBron had earlier missed a desperation turnaround 3-point attempt following what the coverage described as a belated pass from Luka Dončić.
Mosley’s timeout choice; quote unclear
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley could have used a timeout with 26. 3 seconds left to set up a potential go-ahead score. Mosley chose not to, saying he liked the personnel on the floor, which included the defensively vulnerable trio of Dončić, James, and Reaves with Ayton and Hachimura, who was in instead of starter Marcus Smart. Mosley said, "Well, you can call the timeout, then they have time to draw their play, " and the remainder of his comment is unclear in the provided context.
The win reinforced several layers of trust for the Magic: trust in their scheme, trust in their players, trust in their skill and trust in their ability to execute in the closing moments. coverage highlighted the final minute and the line of play that produced Bane’s decisive 3. The photo credit for images of the game is Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images. A team post reading "BIG TIME BANE" was dated February 25, 2026.
The sequence of recent outcomes that framed this game included the double-overtime buzzer loss to the Phoenix Suns’ Jalen Green on Saturday and the missed final-shot opportunity by the LA Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin in the intervening game; those results made Tuesday’s result in Los Angeles a particularly meaningful regained outcome for the Magic.
Desmond Bane’s late 3 off a Paolo Banchero pass with 35. 4 seconds left was a key moment in the Magic’s 110-109 comeback win in Los Angeles, and the game served as a milestone in the team’s cultivated trust.
