Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Imagesimage caption Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) drives to the basket against the Orlando Magic in the second quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
The Los Angeles Lakers are in the middle of a rough spell, falling to a 106-118 loss tonight to an Orlando Magic squad that's below .500. This is coming off their surprising loss to the Chicago Bulls in their last outing, as the Lakers have now dropped three games in a row.
Luka Doncic put on a show, but the team's effectiveness on both ends looked incredibly muted tonight. He emphasized the need for everyone to remember their eight-game winning streak in February and find that level of defensive focus again.
"I think we just got to look back at the way we played at that 8-game winning streak. We were physical, we played a hell of a defense, I think we just got a little bit satisfied, we can't afford that right now."
Doncic ended the game with 32 points (9-23 FG), seven rebounds, and seven assists, leading the Lakers in scoring. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of production for the Lakers against an aggressive defensive squad like the Magic.
LeBron James had a solid night with 24 points (9-18 FG), six rebounds, and seven assists as he continues to ramp up after his recent return from injury. Meanwhile, Austin Reaves scored 18 points (7-16 FG) with six rebounds and four assists. He struggled for efficiency but was still a solid contributor.
Dorian Finney-Smith with 14 points (5-7 FG) was the last Laker to score in double digits tonight, as nobody else could even manage more than five points individually.
As Doncic indicated, it was even worse defensively. The team looked disconnected against one of the worst three-point shooting teams in the NBA, leading to the Magic going 15-40 (37.5 3P%) from beyond the arc and outshooting the Lakers.
Outside of that, the Lakers really didn't have a prayer of stopping Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner, with the duo combining for 62 points in the win.
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