Rating Lakers Players vs. Magic: Doncic 37 Points Not Enough In Another Loss

The Los Angeles Lakers’ struggles continued Monday night as they fell 118-106 to the Orlando Magic, marking their third straight loss and seventh defeat in their last 10 games. Despite Luka Doncic’s 32 points and LeBron James’ 24 points and eight assists, the Lakers couldn’t sustain their early momentum, letting a nine-point lead slip away before halftime. 

Austin Reaves scored eight of his 17 points in the first quarter, but the Lakers were overwhelmed in the third, getting outscored 34-18 as Orlando took control. A late push brought Los Angeles within seven with 5:40 remaining, but Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero combined for Orlando’s next 10 points to put the game out of reach. 

With the loss, the Lakers (43-28) slipped into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with idle Memphis, as their four-game road trip got off to a frustrating start. Let’s provide a rating for every Laker for his performance on Monday night. 

Luka Doncic: A

Stats: 32 PTS, 7 REB (0 OREB, 7 DREB), 7 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 2 PF, 9-23 FG, 4-10 3PT, 10-11 FT, -9, 38 MIN

Doncic did all he could to keep the Lakers competitive, finishing with a team-high 32 points while adding seven rebounds and seven assists. He was aggressive in attacking the rim, earning 11 trips to the free-throw line and converting 10. However, his shooting efficiency wasn’t ideal, as he made just 9 of his 23 attempts from the field, and he struggled from beyond the arc (4-for-10). Despite his efforts, the Lakers couldn’t overcome their defensive lapses, particularly in the second half.

LeBron James: A

Stats: 24 PTS, 6 REB (3 OREB, 3 DREB), 7 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 2 TO, 0 PF, 9-18 FG, 0-3 3PT, 6-7 FT, -17, 38 MIN

James was effective and efficient, scoring 24 points on 9-for-18 shooting while also facilitating with seven assists. His ability to get into the paint was crucial, but his 0-for-3 shooting from deep highlighted the Lakers’ overall struggles from beyond the arc. While his individual performance was strong, his -17 plus/minus reflected the team’s inability to maintain momentum, especially during Orlando’s dominant third quarter.

Dorian Finney-Smith: B

Stats: 14 PTS, 7 REB (3 OREB, 4 DREB), 0 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 5-7 FG, 4-6 3PT, 0-0 FT, -6, 35 MIN

Finney-Smith provided much-needed floor spacing for the Lakers, knocking down 4-of-6 three-pointers on his way to 14 points. His rebounding effort was also solid, as he pulled down seven boards, three of them on the offensive glass. While he wasn’t a primary playmaker, his two steals showed his defensive impact. However, he wasn’t able to slow down Orlando’s wings when it mattered most.

Austin Reaves: B

Stats: 18 PTS, 6 REB (0 OREB, 6 DREB), 4 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 3 TO, 4 PF, 7-16 FG, 1-6 3PT, 3-4 FT, -7, 36 MIN

Reaves started strong, scoring eight of his 18 points in the first quarter, but his production waned as the game progressed. He shot a respectable 7-for-16 from the field, though his struggles from three-point range (1-for-6) limited his offensive efficiency. He also had four assists but committed three turnovers, which hurt the Lakers during key stretches. His energy was there, but the impact wasn’t enough to shift the game in L.A.’s favor.

Jaxson Hayes: C

Stats: 4 PTS, 4 REB (2 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TO, 5 PF, 2-4 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, -10, 18 MIN

Hayes played limited minutes but was relatively efficient, making two of his four shots and recording a block. However, his five fouls in just 18 minutes hampered his ability to stay on the floor. While he provided some physicality inside, he wasn’t able to slow down Orlando’s interior attack, particularly in the second half.

Rui Hachimura: D

Stats: 5 PTS, 3 REB (1 OREB, 2 DREB), 0 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 1 TO, 1 PF, 2-4 FG, 0-2 3PT, 1-2 FT, -1, 24 MIN

Hachimura struggled to find his rhythm offensively, finishing with just five points on 2-for-4 shooting. He failed to make an impact from deep, missing both of his three-point attempts, and his three rebounds weren’t enough to counter Orlando’s size advantage. Defensively, he was largely ineffective, as the Lakers failed to contain Banchero and Wagner down the stretch.

Jarred Vanderbilt: D

Stats: 1 PTS, 4 REB (1 OREB, 3 DREB), 1 AST, 1 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 3 PF, 0-1 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, -2, 12 MIN

Vanderbilt had a quiet night, contributing just one point and four rebounds in 12 minutes. His defensive presence was expected to be a factor, but he couldn’t disrupt Orlando’s offensive rhythm. With no field goals attempted and minimal playmaking, his impact was limited in a game where the Lakers needed more energy and production from their role players.

Gabe Vincent: D

Stats: 4 PTS, 1 REB (0 OREB, 1 DREB), 0 AST, 2 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 4 PF, 2-6 FG, 0-4 3PT, 0-0 FT, -2, 20 MIN

Vincent had another rough shooting night, going 2-for-6 from the field and missing all four of his three-point attempts. He managed to record two steals but offered little else in terms of offensive production or playmaking. With the Lakers’ backcourt struggling, his inability to knock down shots or create offense was a significant setback.

Jordan Goodwin: D

Stats: 1 PTS, 1 REB (1 OREB, 0 DREB), 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 1-2 FT, 13 MIN

Goodwin had an uneventful night, registering just one point and one rebound in 13 minutes. He didn’t attempt a field goal and failed to contribute in any meaningful way. While he avoided turnovers and mistakes, his limited impact made it difficult for the Lakers to get much out of his minutes.

Dalton Knecht: N/A

Stats: 3 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 1 PF, 1-1 FG, 1-1 3PT, 0-0 FT, -6, 5 MIN

Knecht saw just five minutes of action but managed to knock down a three-pointer in his only field-goal attempt. With the Lakers struggling offensively, it’s possible he could have provided a spark with more playing time, but his brief stint wasn’t enough to make a difference.

Trey Jemison III: N/A

Stats: 0 PTS, 0 REB, 0 AST, 0 STL, 0 BLK, 0 TO, 0 PF, 0-0 FG, 0-0 3PT, 0-0 FT, 1 MIN

Jemison played only one minute and didn’t register any stats. His role was purely in garbage time, so he didn’t have an opportunity to contribute meaningfully.

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