LeBron James, Lakers Lose to Magic, Criticized by NBA Fans After 3rd Straight Loss

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 118-106 loss to the Orlando Magic on Monday on the road, dropping their third straight game.

James finished with 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists, shooting 9-of-18 from the field and 0-of-3 from the three-point line. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 32 points, seven rebounds and seven assists on 9-of-23 shooting from the field. Austin Reaves added 18 points, six rebounds and four assists.

On the opposing side, Paolo Banchero finished with 30 points and seven rebounds for the Magic. Franz Wagner added 32 points, five rebounds and nine assists.

With this loss, the Lakers dropped to 43-28 on the season, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for fourth and fifth place after losing seven of their last 10 games. The Magic improved to 34-38 as they continue battling for a play-in spot.

Fans criticized the Lakers after dropping their third game, with two of those losses coming against teams under .500.

Reaves opened the scoring for the Lakers with a smooth pull-up off a James assist, followed by a three-pointer. Banchero dominated early, scoring the Magic’s first nine points. Doncic caught fire midway through the first, dropping 11 points to help the Lakers take a 30-26 lead into the second quarter.  

James struggled in the second, shooting 2-of-6 from the field, while Doncic went 3-of-5, adding 10 points. The Lakers held a slim two-point lead at halftime.  

Los Angeles went cold after the break, managing just 18 third-quarter points while the Magic put up 34. Doncic shot 2-of-7, while Wagner scored nine points behind Banchero’s seven for the Magic.

The Lakers couldn't mount a comeback in the fourth, as Doncic managed just five points on only two shot attempts, while Reaves added six and James contributed four.

The Lakers will look to bounce back on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers amidst their four-game road trip.