The Los Angeles Lakers had two days off after their season-high tying four-game winning streak was snapped, but they looked the part of a sluggish team in a 127-105 blowout loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic. For Orlando, it was just their fourth win in the past 24 games.
Additionally, it came with the Magic playing on the second of a back-to-back and one night removed from allowing a historic triple-double to James Harden, and despite not having Aaron Gordon or Nikola Vucevic.
The Lakers opened the game on a 6-2 run but trailed by the end of the first quarter. The Magic led by as many as 12 points in the second, but saw that cut into thanks in part to Jordan Clarkson leading an 11-2 run by the Lakers.
Although they went into halftime trailing just 58-51, which felt like a mini victory in and of itself, the Lakers allowed the Magic to score eight quick points in the third quarter.
That prompted head coach Luke Walton to remove his starting unit less than two minutes into play. It didn’t do much to change the momentum, as Evan Fournier took advantage of defensive miscues and led a Magic barrage from deep.
Orlando made nine of their 13 attempts behind the arc in the third. One of the misses came on a Marreese Speights heave as the clock expired. Their nine makes in a single quarter set a franchise record. Overall, the Magic shot 18-for-32 from 3-point territory.
Fournier erupted for 14 points out of the break en route to finishing with 19. While he created the separation, it was Speights who led the Magic with 21 points. Elfrid Payton (15 points), Jonathon Simmons (14), D.J. Augustin (12), Mario Hezonja (11) and Sheldon Mack (11) also reached double-figures.
Clarkson was strong off the bench to the tune of 20 points, five rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Julius Randle just missed notching a double-double with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Brandon Ingram scored 13 points, with the majority of it coming once the game was well in hand. Brook Lopez played just nine minutes, contributing five points and one rebound.
Now on a two-game losing streak, the Lakers continue on their road trip with a matchup Friday against the Brooklyn Nets.
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