The Los Angeles Lakers have looked like the best team in the NBA the past couple of weeks as they’ve rattled off several wins against playoff teams. Los Angeles’ brought an eight-game winning streak into their matchup against an Orlando Magic team that’s historically played them tough.
Certain teams seem to have the Lakers’ number and the Magic are arguably one of them as they had won the previous four matchups. Orlando’s been relatively disappointing compared to their preseason expectations this year, but they boast a physical roster that presents issues for Los Angeles.
The Lakers raced out to an early 14-point lead, but the Magic mucked the game up and were able to take control for most of the second half. The officiating was questionable at best as it seemed as though every big call went against Los Angeles, but the team managed to dig deep and stay within striking distance.
The Lakers’ winning streak appeared to be in jeopardy when the Magic led in the final seconds, but the former found themselves in position to steal the game after forcing a turnover. On the final play of the game, Los Angeles drew up an excellent play that sprung Luke Kennard open for a wide-open 3-pointer that he buried to give the team one of their best wins of the 2025-26 season.
Luka Doncic has been the best offensive player in the NBA the past month and it looked like he was on track for another huge game against Orlando. Doncic had it going in the first quarter as he hit his usual array of shots to get the Lakers the early lead.
However, Orlando did everything possible to slow down Doncic in the second and it worked as he failed to see many shots go down. Doncic did hit a crucial basket late in the fourth quarter, but otherwise he was limited by his standards.
Despite the inefficient shooting in the second half, Doncic still led all scorers with 33 points to go along with five rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block.
Kennard leads the league in 3-point shooting percentage and he’s fit in seamlessly on a Lakers team that desperately needs his gravity on the floor. Kennard’s become a staple in the rotation and on the final possession of the game he somehow found himself wide-open to hit the game-winning 3-pointer.
It’s Kennard’s best moment with the Lakers and he deserves plenty of praise for his performance. He finished the night with 13 points.
What’s next for the Lakers
The Lakers will play the Detroit Pistons on Monday before wrapping up their road trip on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.
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