The LA Lakers’ chances of securing a top-two Western Conference playoff spot took another hit with a loss in Orlando.
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered another setback in their NBA playoff push, falling 118-106 to the Orlando Magic, who notched their first home victory since February.
Despite 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from LeBron James, the Lakers dropped their third straight game on Monday, and at 43-28 are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies in the battle for fourth place in the Western Conference.
Franz Wagner scored 32 points and Paolo Banchero added 30 for the Magic, who out-scored the Lakers 34-18 in the third quarter to seize control of the contest.
The defeat follows the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls in James’s first game back after missing seven games with a groin injury.
The Lakers had hoped James, Doncic and a newly healthy Rui Hachimura would fuel a strong stretch run in the West. The Oklahoma City Thunder is assured of the top seed, but the Denver Nuggets, Lakers and Grizzlies are all within two and a half games of the second-placed Houston Rockets.
Lakers coach JJ Redick said his players are lacking the defensive intensity they displayed in an eight-game winning streak that had briefly pushed them to second in the standings.
“We can get back there,” Redick said, adding that the injury-enforced lineup changes may have taken a toll.
“We look tired,” he said. “I don’t know what contributes to that … we weren’t able to sustain our level of intensity that we started the game out with.”
The Lakers did cut a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to seven with 5:39 remaining, but the Magic – eighth in the Eastern Conference – swiftly pulled away again.
Redick said the Lakers could also use some practice time to get recently returned players reintegrated.
“We’ve got to get back into the flow and the rhythm,” he said. “It’s not just [the returning players] getting back into the flow, but it’s the group and how the group functions.”
