- Orlando beats Lakers 118-106, with Wagner and Banchero leading
- LA loses after halftime lead, outscored 34-18 in the third
- Anthony Davis scores 12 in Mavericks' 120-101 win over Nets
The Orlando Magic snapped a six-game home losing streak by handing the Los Angeles Lakers their third consecutive defeat.
Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 32 points, and LeBron James chipped in 24 points and 8 assists. The Lakers held a 60-58 lead at halftime, but Orlando dominated the third quarter, outscoring them 34-18. The Magic held on to secure a 118-106 win.
Franz Wagner was outstanding for Orlando, posting 32 points and 9 assists, while Paolo Banchero contributed 30 points and 7 rebounds.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick noted, “We look tired. I don’t know what contributes to that. We weren’t able to sustain the level of intensity we started the game with.”
The Lakers, who have lost 7 of their last 10 games, currently sit fourth in the Western Conference with 11 regular-season games remaining. The top 8 teams qualify for the playoffs, and the Lakers are 8 wins ahead of the 9th-place Sacramento Kings.
Meanwhile, the Magic are in 8th place in the Eastern Conference with 10 games left.
In another game on Monday, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Brooklyn Nets 120-101, marking the return of Anthony Davis from injury. Davis, who had been sidelined for six weeks with an abductor injury, scored 12 points in 26 minutes. His injury had occurred in his first game with Dallas after being traded from the Lakers in exchange for Doncic.
