Battles between the Los Angeles Lakers and Orlando Magic in Crypto.com Arena have a tendency to go right down to the wire, and their contest on Tuesday night was no different. The Magic, however, prevailed in the end — with a putback layup from Wendell Carter Jr. proving to be the difference in a 110-109 defeat.
It did look as though the Lakers had momentum in the fourth, but their defense failed to get the stops they needed when they needed them. They took a 109-108 lead after a lazy defensive possession from the Magic saw LeBron James find space for a go-ahead wide-open dunk, but they couldn't complete the defensive stop, as Orlando recovered possession after a midrange miss from Paolo Banchero, paving the way for Carter's game-winner.
The Lakers still had a chance to win, but Luka Doncic passed up an open three-point try to win the game twice, which led to James taking a difficult turnaround shot for the game-winning attempt, which he missed.
After the game, head coach JJ Redick summed up the Lakers' situation as they fell down to 34-23 on the season.
“We're a work in progress,” Redick said in his postgame presser, via @ohnohedidnt24 on X (formerly Twitter).
JJ Redick: "We're a work in progress" pic.twitter.com/Vjd9KZoIIq
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) February 25, 2026
The Lakers' defense needs plenty of work
The Lakers' defense was so good for the final few months of the 2024-25 season, but that hasn't carried over at all to this current campaign. Deandre Ayton faces his bouts of lethargy, Doncic and Austin Reaves have their shortcomings on that end of the floor, James is old, and the team does not have the personnel quite yet to build a sturdy defensive infrastructure.
They currently rank 24th in the NBA in defensive rating, allowing 116.6 points per 100 possessions. It may take the Lakers a year or two more before they maximize the roster around Doncic.
