Paolo Banchero scored 36 points with 10 rebounds and Desmond Bane added 22 points as the Orlando Magic finished off a successful road trip against Western Conference foes with a 110-109 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Wendell Carter Jr. scored 20 points and Tristan da Silva added 13 as the Magic went 3-1 on their trip with a victory at Sacramento and two more against a pair of Los Angeles teams in the Clippers and Lakers. They lost at Phoenix in the second game of the trip.
Orlando shot 45.7% in the game but finished off the victory by shooting 59.1% in the fourth quarter while scoring 31 points. It was the Magic’s fourth consecutive victory against the Lakers going back to November of 2023.
Luka Doncic scored 22 points with 15 assists and nine rebounds while LeBron James and Deandre Ayton each added 21 points for the Lakers, who went 4-4 on an extended homestand that wrapped around both sides of the All-Star break. James had a chance to win it at the buzzer but his fallaway 3-pointer from was off target.
Austin Reaves scored 18 points for the Lakers, who shot 48.2%.
Los Angeles built its advantage to 12 points in the third quarter at 65-53 but a 12-4 run to close out the third quarter brought Orlando within 80-79 heading into the fourth.
The Lakers went up 106-103 on a Rui Hachimura 3-pointer with 2:14 remaining.
After officials overturned a foul by Carter on Doncic, the Lakers won a jump ball with 1:05 remaining but James made just one of two free throws with 44.7 seconds left for a 107-105 lead.
Bane gave the Magic a 108-107 lead on an open 3-pointer with 35.4 seconds remaining. A James dunk off a Doncic assist put the Lakers up 109-108 with 26.3 seconds before a Carter layup inside with 6.7 seconds on the clock proved to be the difference after James’ final miss.
The Lakers shot 52.6% from the floor in the first half while taking a 56-53 lead into the break after Ayton, who posted a game-high 13 rebounds, scored 17 points. Carter had 15 points as the Magic shot 42.0% before halftime.
–Field Level Media
