The Los Angeles Lakers pulled off another thriller, as Luke Kennard sank a buzzer-beater to beat the Orlando Magic, 105-104, and extend LA’s win streak in a tense interconference clash. Trailing 102-104 with 2.6 seconds left, the play unfolded fast. LeBron James drew the defense. Marcus Smart delivered the inbound. Kennard stood open and ready. No hesitation. He fired. The shot dropped with 0.6 seconds remaining. Game over.

The Lakers stunned the Magic and pushed their run to nine straight wins. Under the bright lights, the moment felt inevitable. This team keeps finding a way.

Luke Kennard made every minute count for the Lakers. He played 20 minutes and scored 13 points. Efficient. Confident. He shot 3-for-4 from deep, including the biggest shot of the night. Since arriving in a midseason trade from the Hawks in exchange for Gabe Vincent, his impact has grown. Nights like this show why the Lakers made that move.

Lakers surge while Magic continue to slide

Article Continues Below

Momentum continues to build for the Lakers. As a result, every possession looks sharper. Every decision comes quicker. Even in pressure moments, they stay composed. Because of that, the edge clearly shows.

Meanwhile, the Magic keep searching for answers. As a result, this Lakers loss extends their skid to four games. These are close contests. Still, they end the same way. Tough endings. In the end, execution late remains the difference.

Still, this game came down to trust. First, LeBron trusted the play. Then, Smart trusted the pass. Finally, Kennard trusted the shot. In turn, the Lakers trusted the moment.

So now, the question grows louder with every win: how long can this Lakers hot streak really last?