The Orlando Magic have lost their fourth game in a row. Things looked very good for a long time against the Los Angeles Lakers – until they started to catch up in the final minute.
The lead swapped back and forth between the Lakers and Magic ten times. However, it was the final change that decided the game. With just 2.6 seconds left on the clock, Marcus Smart found the criminally neglected Luke Kennard inbound and he drained a three from the buzzer to give his side the lead (104:105). In Orlando’s defense, Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane had missed the set-up for the switch.
The three-pointer was part of a furious comeback by the Lakers in the final minute. With 50 seconds remaining, Paolo Banchero (16 PTS) had put his team five points in front at the free throw line before Austin Reaves scored a lay-up and then Deandre Ayton reduced the deficit at the line.
Doncic leads all players with 33 points
The defeat was bitter for several reasons. On the one hand, the Lakers had managed to erase a 14-point lead beforehand, but failed to bring about a preliminary decision themselves. The visitors from L.A. had shot unusually poorly from the field (44.8%) and relied heavily in offense on the individual scoring of Luka Doncic (33 PTS, 8 AST) and Austin Reaves (26, eleven of them in the 4th quarter).
On the other hand, the defeat was the fourth in a row for the Orlando Magic, who slipped back into a play-in spot for the time being. The simultaneous victories of the Philadelphia 76ers and Atlanta Hawks are responsible for this.
This is how it stands in the conferences.
Tristan da Silva was once again in the starting line-up for the home side and impressed with twelve points (4/6). Moritz Wagner did not play. The Magic next face the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night (0:00).