The Los Angeles Lakers endured another blow to their playoff hopes Monday, falling 118-106 to the Orlando Magic, who secured their first home win since February.
Despite stellar performances from Luka Doncic, who poured in 32 points, and LeBron James, who added 24, the Lakers suffered their third consecutive loss. With a 43-28 record, they are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies for fourth place in the Western Conference.
Franz Wagner led the Magic with 32 points, while Paolo Banchero contributed 30. Orlando dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 34-18 to take control of the game.
This setback follows a heavy defeat to the Chicago Bulls, who handed the Lakers a blowout loss in James’s first game back after missing seven games with a groin injury.
Meanwhile, the Bulls continued their impressive run, defeating a depleted Denver Nuggets team 129-119 for their third consecutive victory.
The Lakers had hoped James, Doncic, and a newly healthy Rui Hachimura would fuel a strong stretch run. The Oklahoma City Thunder are assured of the top seed in the West, but the Nuggets, Lakers, and Grizzlies are all within two and a half games of the second-place Houston Rockets.
Doncic said the Lakers need to recapture the intensity they displayed during an eight-game winning streak that had briefly pushed them to second in the West.
"We were physical. We played hell of a defense," Doncic said. "And I think we just got a little bit satisfied. We can't afford that right now."
The Lakers led by nine in the first half and cut a 17-point fourth quarter deficit to seven with 5:39 remaining, but the Magic – eighth in the Eastern Conference – quickly pulled away again.
The Nuggets were still clinging to third in the West after falling to the Bulls, who were fueled by 37 points from Coby White – his third straight game with 35 or more.
Josh Giddey added 26 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists, and six Chicago players scored in double figures as the Bulls, ninth in the East, rallied from an early 13-point deficit.
The Nuggets led by four early in the fourth quarter, but with NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić again sidelined with an ankle injury and Aaron Gordon absent, they couldn't stop the Bulls' late surge.
The defending champion Boston Celtics cruised to a sixth straight victory, but their 113-95 win over the Kings in Sacramento was marred by an injury to All-Star Jayson Tatum.
Tatum scored 25 points with seven rebounds and eight assists before departing in the third quarter after rolling his ankle when he came down from a shot on the foot of Kings center Domantas Sabonis, who was assessed a flagrant foul.
Tatum stayed in the game long enough to take his free throws before he was helped to the locker room.
Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton posted his 11th straight double-double, delivering 24 points and 11 assists to propel the Pacers to a fifth straight victory, 119-103 over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Obi Toppin made six three-pointers on the way to 20 points for the Pacers, whose lead over Milwaukee for fourth place in the East stood at two games after the Bucks fell 108-106 to the Suns in Phoenix.
Devin Booker was the hero for the Suns, drilling a step-back basket with 2.4 seconds remaining to seal the win in a game that featured 15 lead changes, six of them in the fourth quarter.
Kevin Durant led all scorers with 38 points for Phoenix, while Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 31.
The Dallas Mavericks welcomed Anthony Davis back to action with a victory, beating the Nets 120-101 in Brooklyn.
Davis returned after missing six weeks with an adductor injury – suffered in his first game for the Mavs after the stunning trade that brought him from the Lakers in exchange for Doncic.
Davis scored 12 points on six-of-nine shooting in 26 minutes on the floor and said afterward he "felt great" physically and overcame any mental jitters "in the first minute or so."
