The Magic have been an underwhelming squad this year but are a difficult matchup on paper for the Lakers as they boast size, physicality and defense across their lineups. Physicality was brought up as an issue for Los Angeles against Boston and the same was seen again as Orlando did its best to muck up the game and force players like Doncic in tough shots constantly.

Even without Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner, the Magic found ways to fluster Doncic whenever he had the basketball. While Doncic was able to find open teammates en route to 15 assists, his shooting efficiency plummeted as he took high-difficult shots under duress. Los Angeles ultimately lost 110-109, with Doncic leading the team in scoring with 22 points on 8-of-24 shooting from the field including just 2-of-10 from the 3-point line.

The Lakers had a chance to steal the game as they had the final shot, but the play seemed disorganized as Doncic passed up an open 3-pointer to give the ball to LeBron James, who then proceeded to miss the game-winner. Doncic explained what happened on the play and why he decided to forego the final shot.

“I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far,” the Lakers star said after the loss. “Tried to take one dribble closer. I probably shouldn’t have picked up the ball and just tried to attack.”

Doncic added that his poor shooting night may have played a role in his hesitation and he thought there was enough time to generate a better look.

“Maybe a little bit…I thought it was enough time. There was six or seven seconds, enough time to get a better look, try to drive the ball, so that’s why I picked [up my dribble].”

It’s uncharacteristic to see Luka pass up an open look with the game on the line, especially given the fact that he hit a tough shot in crunch time a couple minutes earlier.

The loss marked the first time Los Angeles failed to win when going into the fourth quarter with a lead, though the more concerning issue is how they lost to another team that bullied them in multiple areas. Rebounding and second-chance points doomed the Lakers, and Doncic’s shooting struggles exacerbated their problems.

The Phoenix Suns are on tap for Thursday, so it’ll be worth watching how Doncic and the rest of the team responds.

Luka Doncic believes Lakers’ new starting group is ‘very good lineup’

The Lakers came out of the All-Star break mostly healthy and head coach JJ Redick finally got to trot out a lineup of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Marcus Smart, LeBron James and Deandre Ayton. The grouping seems the most optimal on paper, with Doncic calling it a very good lineup.

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The Lakers started off strong and led throughout most of the game, with the biggest lead being 12 points which they reached early in the second half. But the Magic were able to claw back into it and when discussing where it went wrong, LeBron just felt that the Lakers weren’t able to get stops when they needed it down the stretch.

“I don’t know,” James said after the loss. “There were a lot of plays, obviously a lot of bang-bang plays to finish that game off. We made shots. We couldn’t get that two-possession [lead]. We go up three, come down hit a three, we go up three again, they come down, get an and-one, we go up two and they take the lead.  It was just like we couldn’t get a stop, a key stop. It cost us all way until the end.”

The final possession for the Lakers was also a bit confusing as Luka Doncic had an open look on the designed play, but hesitated and passed it to LeBron, who was forced into a very difficult shot.

“I thought we had a good opportunity. Luka came off clean,” James noted. “I think he felt off balance, but we executed. We didn’t get the shot that we wanted. We did execute it and it doesn’t go down.”

As far as what exactly happened on that last play, James was unsure as to why Doncic passed on his open shot believing he possibly felt off balance.

“We executed. Like I said, I’m not sure,” LeBron said. “Obviously you’ll have to ask Luka what he saw on that. But I thought he had a good look and it felt like he kind of just lost his balance, didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed them to get back in front of him. And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look. That’s my POV.”

The Lakers had the game in their hands, but failures to execute on both ends of the court in the final minute ultimately did them in and that final possession will be one that is replayed in their heads.

Lakers’ Luka Doncic explains final possession vs. Magic

As LeBron James said, only Luka Doncic would know exactly what happened on that final possession for the Lakers against the Magic and the superstar explained why he passed on the shot and what went wrong in the loss.

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Both of these teams have failed to meet expectations this season in a way, but the Magic kept fighting all night and came away with a 110-109 victory over the Lakers.

LeBron James got off to a great start in this one as he had 10 early points, including a pair of 3-pointers. After a three-point play by Luka Doncic, the Lakers took a 17-10 lead.

Doncic got hit in the face by Moe Wagner and appeared to be in some pain but was eventually able to stay in the game. In true Luka fashion, he fired up a triple on the next possession and made it. Doncic joined James in double figures in the first quarter as the Lakers led 33-25.

Wendell Carter Jr. was the only Magic player that could get anything going offensively as he tried to keep the game from getting out of reach early. Tristan da Silva gave him some help with back-to-back 3s, but Deandre Ayton got going inside with five straight points for the Lakers to answer.

Both teams were sloppy to end the first half as the scoring came to a halt with the Lakers taking a 56-53 lead into the halftime locker room.

After a rare scoreless first half, Austin Reaves led a 9-0 run to begin the third quarter, scoring seven points and throwing a lob to James.

The Lakers’ offense got stagnant from there, however, missing the opportunity to continue extending the lead. Paolo Banchero finally got going for Orlando with a 17-point third quarter, getting their double-digit deficit back to a manageable margin at 80-79 going into the fourth.

The Magic opened up the first quarter with back-to-back buckets, regaining the lead for the first time in a while. With things starting to slip away for the Lakers, Reaves hit a big triple and then had a three-point play to tie it up once again.

With both teams continuing to exchange buckets, the game was tied at 98 with around five minutes to play.

Doncic did not have a good shooting night, but he hit back-to-back jumpers down the stretch for L.A. He then found Rui Hachimura for a 3 to go back ahead, although Banchero responded with an and-one.

With the Lakers up two in the final minute, Desmond Bane drilled a triple to put Orlando back in front.

After a timeout, Doncic found a cutting James for a dunk. The Magic had one more look, and Carter had a putback after a missed shot by Banchero.

That put Orlando up by one with 6.7 seconds to play, and James missed a fadeaway at the buzzer to secure the victory for the Magic.

What’s next for the Lakers…

The Lakers will now hit the road for division matchups with the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors on Thursday and Saturday, respectively, before returning home and hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.

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It is unclear when Hayes specifically injured his ankle during the game, but he only played five minutes in the first half before being ruled out for the second half. Hayes’ absence led to more minutes for Deandre Ayton, though head coach JJ Redick also tried to get away with more small-ball minutes as well.

Hayes has been having the best year of his career to date as he’s been a legitimately good rotation player backing up Ayton. Hayes has great chemistry with Luka Doncic on pick and rolls, but he’s also been a much better rim protector during the 2025-26 season.

Redick announced that Hayes underwent imaging on his right ankle that showed a small bruise. The big man is considered day-to-day and the expectation is he’ll be deemed questionable for Tuesday’s game against the Orlando Magic, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

JJ Redick says Jaxson Hayes received imaging on his right ankle Monday, which showed a "little bruise." Redick said Hayes is day-to-day going forward and assumed the backup center will be listed as questionable for Tuesday's game vs. ORL

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 23, 2026

Losing Hayes for any amount of time would be a blow for the Lakers as their center depth isn’t great behind Ayton. Maxi Kleber showed flashes before the All-Star break, but has largely remained on the bench since the roster briefly returned to full health.

Redick has experimented with LeBron James or Jarred Vanderbilt as the nominal center in small-ball lineups, though those lineups have been brutal defensively. Hopefully Hayes is able to suit up against the Magic as the Lakers need all the help they can get to keep pace in the Western Conference standings.

Jaxson Hayes unlikely to compete in NBA Slam Dunk Contest again

Jaxson Hayes got to represent the Lakers during 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend in the annual NBA Slam Dunk Contest, though he didn’t advance past the first round. He put up a couple of underwhelming dunks in his lone appearance, a rather big disappointment for fans who were looking forward to seeing him perform in Los Angeles.

While Hayes previously expressed his dream of participating in the Dunk Contest, he said he likely won’t do it again after feeling his first dunk attempt in his knees.

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As is normally the case, the Lakers were given a ton of high-profile games such as Opening Night against the Golden State Warriors and Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets. With Luka Doncic now on the team and LeBron James still playing at a high level, the league understandably wants a lot of eyes on the Lakers this season.

With that comes a lot of games to get excited for, and we recently ranked the top-10 on the Lakers’ schedule.

There are some under-the-radar games to look forward to as well though, and our staff picked out their favorites in the latest Lakers Nation Roundtable.

Trevor Lane (@Trevor_Lane):

Nov. 15 at Bucks: This game screams “scheduled loss.” It’s the second night of a road back-to-back after significant travel from New Orleans AND it’s the final game of a five-game road trip. Still, this will be one of our earliest indicators of how the team plans to manage fatigue through the season. Do we see players rest? What is LeBron’s workload in these situations in his age 41 season? Do players farther down the bench get opportunities to bring fresh legs into the mix? It’s a tough situation but also one that will reveal quite a bit about how JJ Redick intends to handle the season.

Dec. 30 vs. Pistons: The Lakers went 0-2 against Detroit last season, with the Pistons’ athleticism on the perimeter creating problems for L.A. while Jalen Duren was a problem in the paint. While both games last season took place before the arrival of Luka Doncic with the Lakers, the team still has similar weaknesses on paper. The last game of 2025 provies a chance to show that the Lakers can deal with quick-twitch athletes like Jaden Ivey and Ausar Thompson on the perimeter while providing Deandre Ayton with a physical challenge in the middle.

Feb. 5 vs. 76ers: Rather than being noteworthy for the game itself, the big question is what will the Lakers roster look like for this game that takes place just hours after the NBA trade deadline? Whether they’re going to make a big move or multiple smaller ones, Feb. 5 is their last chance to do it.

April 9 at Warriors: While the Opening Night tilt between these two sides will get most of the attention, it’s this late-season game that will likely be a major factor in Playoff seeding. It’s the final game of a critical four-game stretch for the Lakers. With how tight the West projects to be, this final matchup with the Warriors may see everything on the line.

Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand):

Nov. 5 vs. Spurs: There are a lot of interesting games on the Lakers’ schedule but one in particular that I’m looking forward to is the first matchup with the Spurs, who figure to be much-improved this year. With L.A.’s current personnel, stopping Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox will be a challenge for JJ Redick’s team. Considering Doncic is now on the Lakers and signed to a long-term extension, there may be a lot of battles between these two teams in the coming years.

Nov. 25 vs. Clippers: Matchups with the Clippers already have a little extra meaning behind them, but this one will as be part of the NBA Cup group stage. On paper, the Lakers and Clippers are the best two teams in their group, so the winner of this game may have a good chance of advancing to the knockout round.

Jan. 2 and 4 vs. Grizzlies: Ja Morant made it clear last season that he does not like the Lakers as these two teams have built a bit of a rivalry in recent years. That may come to a head when they play each other in back-to-back games at Crypto.com Arena early in 2026.

Matthew Peralta (@_MatthewPeralta):

Jan. 28 at Cavaliers: I don’t know if LeBron James returning home to play the Cleveland Cavaliers brings the same sort of intrigue as it used to, but I think this year might be notable if this is indeed his final season with Los Angeles. It’s no secret that the Cavaliers would be a clear title favorite if LeBron returned for one more stint and it could be a preferable outcome for the superstar come next summer given the state of the Eastern Conference.

Aside from the LeBron angle, I think Cleveland would be a great midseason test for the Lakers. They’re projected to challenge for the top seed in the Eastern Conference, so the Lakers could get a better sense of where they land in the contender conversation.

Ron Gutterman (@RonGutterman24):

Nov. 8 at Hawks: With so many great matchups in the Western Conference, I’m looking East for an under-the-radar game. And that’s on the road against the Atlanta Hawks.

The Hawks had, in my opinion, among the strongest offseasons in the NBA, and now have a deep and versatile roster. In many ways, they’re built somewhat similarly to L.A.: a lead guard who provides elite playmaking, a talented big man without significant depth at the position and a litany of wings.

But the Hawks are younger and faster. And I expect them to give the Lakers some trouble, even if I believe L.A. is a better overall team.

Corey Hansford (@TheeCoreyH):

Nov. 8 at Hawks and Feb. 24 vs. Magic: There are a pair of games that I am really looking forward to seeing that most aren’t talking about but should serve as a true test for the Lakers against two teams looking to take a leap in the 2025-26 season: the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic.

On Nov. 8, the Lakers head to Atlanta to kick off a five-game road trip against the Hawks, where last year they lost an overtime heartbreaker on a late Trae Young 3-pointer. The Hawks added Kristaps Porzingis and Nickeil Alexander-Walker this summer while rising star Jalen Johnson also returns from injury, leading many to view them as one of the big sleepers in the East. The Hawks have the defenders to potentially make things tough on Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, so the Lakers will need to be clicking to come out with a victory.

The Lakers also face a tough test in the Magic, who traded for elite two-way guard Desmond Bane this offseason. Paolo Banchero is one of the best young stars in the NBA and Franz Wagner showed last year that he is not afraid of the big stage, putting on a ridiculous clutch performance at Crypto.com Arena last season. The Magic actually swept the Lakers last year and one of those games did come against a full strength squad with Doncic and James, so L.A. will need a good performance to show this young Orlando team doesn’t have their number.

Matthew Valento (@matthewvalento):

Dec. 1 vs. Suns: The Phoenix Suns’ Big 3 obviously didn’t work out as planned and now, Devin Booker is leading the charge accompanied by Jalen Green and familiar villain Dillon Brooks. But, one storyline I’ll be looking at is Deandre Ayton facing off against the team that drafted him. Ayton’s motor concerns have been noted, but every player gets up to play his former team.

In addition to having a bit more extra juice wearing a Lakers jersey, the big man should embrace that moment and use this elevated platform to dominate Phoenix. Luka Doncic and Booker, of course, had their well-documented playoff battle in 2022 and LeBron James is not a fan of Brooks. The Suns got younger and could become an irritant with their personalities, which presents a potential early season test for L.A.

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