Lakers’ Road Trip Goes Poof Against Magic…
The Los Angeles Lakers kicked off their road trip with dreams of turning the Orlando Magic into mere illusions at the Kia Center. After being Houdini’d by a buzzer-beater last time, they hoped to pull a magic trick of their own. But much like pulling a rabbit from a hat that already has a rabbit, their third-quarter performance disappeared, leading to a 118-106 plot twist loss.
Lounging from their earlier defeat at home, the Lakers sprang in like eager bunnies with Austin Reaves’ energetic start. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and LeBron James acted like they were playing musical chairs with bricks, because points were not happening. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero turned into a shooting magician, while Jarred Vanderbilt fouled like it was buy-one-get-one-free day. Despite the antics, the Lakers had a sliver of hope at 30-26.
However, the third quarter was where the real magic act began, and unfortunately, the Lakers vanished into thin air. Franz Wagner conjured points from deep, and Orlando turned the glass into their personal trampoline park. The scoreboard went abracadabra, stretching to 92-78 while the Lakers were left wondering if LeBron was hitting free throws with his eyes closed. Some late hustle wasn’t enough—Orlando clinched the W, leaving the Lakers dazed and confused like spectators at a vanishing act gone wrong. Next stop: a doubleheader with the Pacers and Bulls.
