The Lakers faced a challenging matchup on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena against the young and physically strong Magic team—a type of team they’ve often had trouble with before.
In the end, the Lakers fell short, losing 110-109 when Wendell Carter Jr. scored a crucial putback layup with just seven seconds remaining.
The Lakers had a shot at victory. Luka Doncic nailed a deep three-pointer before passing to LeBron James, who unfortunately missed a three-pointer right before the buzzer went off.
Doncic nearly achieved a triple-double with 22 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds, though he struggled a bit with an 8-of-24 shooting night.
Deandre Ayton, meanwhile, had his first 20-point game in about a month, contributing 21 points and 13 rebounds to the scoreboard.
LeBron James managed to put up 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Austin Reeves had a slow start but ended with 18 points (6-of-16 shooting).
What It Means
With this loss, the Lakers dropped to 34-23 for the season.
Meanwhile, the Timberwolves (36-23) took the lead in the Western Conference standings, pushing the Lakers down to sixth place.
Turning Point
A critical moment occurred when LeBron missed a free throw with just 45 seconds left. The Lakers were ahead 107-105 and had a chance to extend that lead, but after the missed free throw, Desmond Bane sunk a three-pointer, putting the Magic up 108-107 with 35 seconds to go.
LeBron then scored with a dunk, giving the Lakers a brief lead at 109-108 before Carter netted the game-winner.
MVP: Paolo Banchero
Paolo Banchero stood out for the Magic, scoring 36 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, and dishing out six assists. He excelled at the free-throw line, hitting 10 out of 11 attempts and was particularly effective inside the paint.
The Magic scored a total of 58 points in the paint, along with securing 15 second-chance points.
Game Status: 8
This is the number of free throws the Lakers missed during the game against the Magic.
Doncic was particularly notable for his struggles at the foul line, managing only 4-of-9.
To the Next
The extended homestand that began with a win over the 76ers on February 5 has concluded, and now the Lakers will hit the road for the first time in three weeks.
They are set to face the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday and will take on the Warriors in San Francisco on Saturday.
