Magic 103-106 Lakers (31 Oct, 2023) Game Recap

LOS ANGELES — — D’Angelo Russell scored 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, LeBron James added nine of 19 in the final period and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied to a 106-103 victory over the Magic from Orlando on Monday. night.

Anthony Davis had 26 points and 19 rebounds for the Lakers, who handed Orlando its first loss of the season by finishing 12-5 in the final four minutes.

“What you see is a team discovering the problem,” Russell said. “This is not the product it will be in a month or two. Every game counts. Every clutch situation counts. Every practice counts. So we are in the process of finding out.

The Magic maintained a lead throughout the fourth quarter until James put the Lakers ahead by one on a 3-pointer with 2:27 left. Jalen Suggs responded with his third 3-pointer of the night, but Russell made another 3-pointer with 1:43 left.

Both teams missed two shots each before Suggs’ shot in the lane was smothered by Davis and rebounded by Christian Wood with 13 seconds left. After Russell made two free throws, Franz Wagner and Suggs missed 3-point attempts in the final seconds, with James getting credit for a block on Wagner’s shot.

The Lakers got a much-needed big game from Russell, the returning point guard who can carry some of the scoring load when James and Davis are tired. Russell added eight assists while hitting 10 of 14 shots, including three 3-pointers.

Russell, James and Davis combined to score the Lakers’ final 30 points in the final 13 1/2 minutes.

“We’re going to continue to improve,” James said. “I think we’re still trying to figure it out a little bit, which is OK. We are four games in. We’re going to improve a lot throughout the season, but so far we like some of the things we’re seeing.

Gary Harris Jr. scored 17 points with five 3-pointers for the Magic, who missed their last five shots. Wagner scored 16 points and Suggs 15.

“I think the effort from our guys was there,” Orlando coach Jamahl Mosley said. “The intensity, the fight, the resilience, that’s what we ask of them, and we knew what it was going to be like in this environment. That our guys continue is a good sign. It wasn’t limited to those last two shots.

Los Angeles looked sluggish at times after losing in overtime at Sacramento on Sunday night, and the Lakers grabbed just three offensive rebounds while being outscored 20-4 on second-chance points.

“It just shows the resilience that we have as a team, but also knowing that if we find ourselves in those situations, we know what to do,” Davis said. “Guys don’t rush shots and make bad plays. I’m just doing what we need to do for our teammates.

Orlando hadn’t played since Friday in Portland, and the Magic seemed livelier in the second half before fading in the final minutes.

“They force you to play and compete for every possession on both sides of the ball,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said of the Magic. “They never stop coming. You can see the growth of this team, even though they are very young. They make you play and they put a lot of pressure on you.

The Lakers considered resting James with tendinitis in his left ankle in the second game of their back-to-back set as part of their continued effort to limit the minutes of the 38-year-old leading scorer in NBA history . James decided he would play anyway after completing his pre-match workout.

Harris went 5 for 5 with four 3-pointers in the first half as the Magic regained the lead at halftime after trailing by 11 early.

Rui Hachimura is out for Los Angeles after injuring his eye in Sacramento. but new backup big Wood provided another solid game for the Lakers with nine points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.

FOLLOWING

Magic: At the Clippers on Tuesday.

Lakers: Host the Clippers on Wednesday before opening a four-game trip at Orlando on Saturday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA