Lakers fall at home vs Magic
Tonight, your Los Angeles Lakers (34-23) faced the Orlando Magic (31-26) at home in their third game since All-Star Weekend. This was their first time back on the court since getting embarrassed by a Jayson Tatum-less Boston Celtics team at home.
Tonight, it was necessary to pick up a win to get back on track amidst their extended home/West Coast stay. Orlando had won five of their last seven games coming into tonight, so securing a victory was no easy feat.
LAKERS LOSE ON GAME WINNER BY CARTER 💔
DE JA VU AGAINST THE MAGIC AGAIN 😭 pic.twitter.com/G8yqo5qc9y
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) February 25, 2026
Hot Start for LeBron
Typically, this season, we’ve seen Luka Dončić be the one to carry LA through the first quarter. He’s been so good that he leads the entire NBA in first-quarter PPG. Tonight, with Luka starting slow, that role fell to the team’s elder statesman and the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
LeBron came out fast tonight, racking up 10 quick first-quarter points and helping set the tone. With the game being tight all night long, his efforts in the opening period were essential.
Tough Night for Luka Dončić, if you can call it that
Luka Dončić had 22 points, 14 assists, and 8 rebounds tonight. For most, if not all, players in the league, that is one of, if not their best, games of the season. For Dončić, who leads the NBA with 32.8 PPG, this was a mediocre performance, scoring-wise.
One of the only reasons the Lakers didn’t run away with this game earlier was due to Luka’s shooting percentage tonight. He shot 8-23 from the field and 2-9 from three. This is far below his standards, but how lucky are we as Lakers fans that even a bad game from our star looks like how he looked tonight?
Although he was still fun to watch, it was not enough to grab a win.
Austin Reaves started very slowly as well, but came out well in the second half with seven quick points. He finished with 18 points on the evening. Deandre Ayton also played well and finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds tonight, shooting 8-11 from the field.
Still, not enough.
Lakers and Magic Gave us a Show Down the Stretch
The game was tight all night long; every time the Lakers would establish anywhere near a 10-point lead, Orlando would claw right back into the game.
It was back and forth all throughout the 4th quarter, and the end of the game was certainly a show. With huge shots and huge effort plays, it was unclear who would win until the final buzzer.
After more back and forth, the Lakers had the chance to win the game down one. With six seconds on the clock, LA inbounded the ball and was not able to get off a good shot in the end. Orlando escaped with yet another win for their squad, continuing their hot streak.
The Lakers will return to action on Thursday when they take on the Suns in Phoenix.
