The Orlando Magic handed the Los Angeles Lakers a tough 120-101 loss in their first road trip of the season. The Lakers faced a variety of struggles during the game, including difficulties in gaining control, giving up 51 rebounds to the Magic’s 40, allowing 36 second-chance points, and committing 17 turnovers.
In this match, the Lakers’ domination against the Magic came to a halt after a seven-game winning streak, and the season series with Orlando ended with a tied score of 1-1. However, there was still some good news for the Lakers as Austin Reaves put up an impressive performance, scoring 20 points with a shooting accuracy of 7-11. Anthony Davis also shone bright with 28 points and 13 rebounds, including six offensive rebounds out of the team’s ten overall.
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The Lakers are set to face off against the Miami Heat in their upcoming game, as their road trip continues. Unfortunately, the Lakers are continuing to experience a rough start in the first quarter of their games, as they allowed an astounding 39 points in the opening frame of their last match. During their battle against the Orlando team, the Lakers tried employing a three-big lineup of Anthony Davis, Jaxson Hayes, and Christian Wood, which had previously resulted in a successful comeback victory against the Los Angeles Clippers. However, this strategy didn’t work out in their latest game, as they were outscored 19-3 in the first quarter.
Orlando experienced a period of five minutes without scoring any field goals in the second quarter, but the Lakers were still unable to catch up. The Lakers struggled with getting offensive rebounds, managing to grab only one in the first half, which translated into just seven points. This was in stark contrast to Orlando’s 26 second-chance points.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Lakers’ Anthony Davis decided to take a more assertive approach to get their offense going and managed to score 11 points during this period. Unfortunately, Paolo Banchero’s impressive performance for Orlando prevented the Lakers from making any sort of comeback. As a result, the Magic increased their lead by as much as 25 points during the third quarter.
Towards the end of the game, the Lakers tried to make a comeback by keeping Davis and LeBron James on the floor. However, despite getting within 13 points, a three-pointer by Cole Anthony with four minutes and four seconds left sealed the Lakers’ loss. As a result, the team pulled their two starters and emptied their bench. This defeat highlighted the Lakers’ struggles, including slow starts, poor rebounding, and a lack of efficiency in shooting three-pointers, which ultimately led to their road loss against Orlando.
The Lakers have a chance to turn things around with the potential return of Rui Hachimura and Taurean Prince, who may join the team in time for Monday’s game against the Miami Heat. The game is set for 4:30 p.m. PT and can be watched on NBA TV. However, if these players are unable to play, Coach Ham will need to make quick adjustments to prevent the Lakers from dropping to a 3-4 record this season with a limited roster.