The Lakers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now, as winners of nine straight games. In what has been an up-and-down season, the Lakers are peaking at the perfect time, and they are looking like strong contenders going into the playoffs.
Tonight was far from their cleanest performance, but they answered the call against adversity today in an impressive victory that did not come easy. In a rare visit to Orlando, the Lakers managed to pull out a one-point win (105-104), sending them to 46-25 on the season (third in the West).
Led by Luka Doncic (33 points, five rebounds, eight assists) and Austin Reaves (26 points, seven rebounds, five assists), Los Angeles was able to keep up their advantage after a 37-point first quarter gave them an early seven-point lead. Overall, while many factors led to the final score, there are three primary reasons the Lakers came out on top in this scrappy game, and they tell us a lot about their formula for maximizing these final stretch of games.
Luke Kennard Game-Winner
Luke Kennard isn’t the person anyone would predict to hit a big-time shot for Los Angeles, but why shouldn’t he? He’s one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters by percentage, so he’s proven he can knock them down when he’s open. In this match, he was providing timely baskets in rhythm all night, but it was the final dagger that fans will remember.
In a brilliantly designed play from JJ Redick, he freed up Kennard on the wing for a wipe-open look, swishing the net with undeniable precision and confidence. On a Lakers team with so many weapons, he was arguably the last one to leave open on that play, and he made them pay for it with a shot that completely decided the game. In the future, look for Redick to keep using Kennard in clutch scenarios along with Doncic, James, Reaves, and Marcus Smart.
No-Show From Magic Stars
On one hand, the Magic enjoyed a balanced spread tonight, with seven different players hitting double figures. On the other hand, no Magic player hit 20 points tonight, reflecting a team that lacks a definitive, go-to offensive option. What’s worse is that the Magic couldn’t rely on their usual sources of scoring today, putting too much pressure on the role-players to keep up with the red-hot Lakers.
As much as the defense played a role in their struggles, the Magic’s lack of chemistry and cohesion as a unit was on full display today, as they just couldn’t adjust the offense to accommodate. In the end, with 16 turnovers (including 12 from the starting lineup alone), the offense was scrambled as Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane combined to shoot just 8-28 from the field.
Lakers Defense Showed Up
When the Lakers’ offense slowed in the second half, the Magic used it as a chance to even the score and flip the script. They had the Lakers on their heels for a while there, trading baskets until the bitter end. Luka Doncic, in particular, got cold in the last 24 minutes, leaving the Lakers vulnerable without consistent scoring from their star. That’s why their defense deserves to be recognized here, not for a dominant display, but for doing enough to win a game when everything else was going wrong.
As Austin Reaves explained after the game, defense has been the key to victory during this streak, and it saved them again today. Thanks to laser focus, consistent effort, and communication from every player (especially Deandre Ayton and Marcus Smart), the Lakers held the Magic to 43.4% shooting as a team and 29.7% shooting from three. It was that defensive resistance that kept the game within reach for the Lakers and allowed Kennard to take the lead in the final seconds.
