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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For example, the new wave of athlete-hosted podcasts has produced endless hours of entertaining content and James has done well for himself with his “Mind the Game” podcast. The podcast initially featured James and Lakers head coach JJ Redick, but Steve Nash replaced the latter once he joined the sidelines.

“Mind the Game” does a great job of breaking down the finer points of basketball from a strategy and scheme perspective to X’s and O’s. The program has also had several high-profile guests such as Luka Doncic and Tyrese Haliburton.

Now, the podcast is getting another celebrity guest as Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet will be joining James and Nash for a special live recording next week, via the official Marty Supreme X account:

Timothée Chalamet x LeBron James x Steve Nash

Live recording @mindthegamepod pic.twitter.com/ZCmpnP2CsB

— Marty Supreme (@martysupreme) February 24, 2026

The taping will occur after a special screening of Chalamet’s film “Marty Supreme,” which explores the life of Marty Mauser who chased after ping pong greatness. The film initially premiered on Dec. 25, 2025 and received positive reviews from critics, particularly for Chalamet’s portrayal of Mauser. Prior to his role in “Marty Supreme,” Chalamet rose to fame after starring in the blockbuster “Dune” films as well as other works such as “Wonka” and “A Complete Unknown.”

Like a lot of other celebrities, Chalamet is an avid basketball fan who was seen at several games during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Chalamet even took in Game 5 between the Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves wearing a Kobe Bryant T-shirt, much to the joy of the purple and gold faithful.

However, Chalamet is a die-hard New York Knicks fan who can often be seen courtside so he’ll likely have a lot to say about his favorite team when he sits down with James and Nash. For fans of Chalamet and basketball, the episode will surely have plenty of fun insights and conversations.

LeBron James reacts to reaching 43,000 career points

LeBron James owns several NBA records, including the most points scored in league history. James has always prided himself for being a willing passer and playmaker, but he’s also been one of the best scorers ever because he finds ways to improve his game each year.

Against the Boston Celtics, James became the first player to score 43,000 career points and he expressed his gratitude for the impressive milestone.

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Luka Doncic’s arrival gives the purple and gold its next superstar to build around, but off the court the team has new a majority owner in Mark Walter.

Walter also owns the Los Angeles Dodgers, a franchise that has become the gold standard in MLB and the envy of professional sports teams because of how well set up they are to win championships every year.

With the Lakers and Dodgers under Walter, the two franchises are starting to integrate and collaborate closer together. Even team personnel is starting to cross over as Walter named Lou Rosen as the Lakers’ new president of business operations with Tim Harris leaving at the end of the 2025-26 season.

Rosen previously served as the Dodgers’ executive vice president and chief of marketing, but also has a close relationship with Magic Johnson dating back to their time with the Lakers. Rosen previously worked with the Lakers and then was Johnson’s agent.

While Rosen will be taking over more responsibilities with the Lakers, he confirmed that Johnson will not be returning in any sort of official capacity despite being around the team like he always is, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“Earvin is one of the most unique individuals I’ve known in my life, and he’s one of my closest friends,” Rosen said. “I’ve known him since we were both 19. Earvin’s involved with all types of things. He owns football teams, baseball teams, soccer teams, insurance companies, a lot of things. He’s always going to have some type of involvement with all the teams, but he is not going to have a day-to-day involvement. It’s going to be no different since he left the Lakers.

“Obviously, he’s a huge fan of the Lakers, but he’s not going to be, ‘Hey, Rob, go sign this player. Do that.’ He’ll always be involved with all the teams that he’s involved in, but no, he’s not going to have day-to-day involvement, at all. He is a super Laker fan and he’ll continue to be a super Laker fan. It’s not bad to have that.”

Johnson was the Lakers’ president of basketball operations for two seasons before unexpectedly resigning, but has remained an ardent supporter of the franchise. As Rosen mentioned, Johnson is now a part owner of several professional sports teams and will continue on cheering the Lakers from the sidelines.

More changes to the Lakers organization will be happening in the coming months and it’ll be interesting to see how things shake out.

Lou Rosen confirms Rob Pelinka will continue to lead Lakers front office

New leadership generally means changes to a team’s front office and staff, but Lou Rosen actually confirmed that Rob Pelinka will continue to lead the Lakers’ front office. However, Rosen did mention that Dodgers’ executives Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi will be around to assist so Pelinka should at least have more support when making decisions.

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James’ records are largely built on his longevity, preparing his mind and body each season to perform at the highest levels. LeBron is currently in the midst of playing a historic Year 23 in the NBA and he remains one of the best players in the league.

The Lakers are counting on James to lead them back to the Finals alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, though the trio appears to still be finding its groove. For example, the three stars were unable to get much going against the Boston Celtics who took control in the second quarter and never looked back.

While the Lakers suffered an ugly loss, James achieved another career milestone as he became the first player in NBA history to reach 43,000 career points. He celebrated his latest achievement on his personal Instagram account:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by (@kingjames)

It feels like James hits a new milestone every few games now and that’s a testament to his willingness to do what’s necessary to keep himself as productive as possible. LeBron’s numbers are technically down across the board this season, but that’s largely because he’s ceded control to Doncic and Reaves.

However, when Los Angeles needs a basket James is still a solid option to have as he can generate a shot from any spot on the floor. The lack of explosiveness and athleticism has begun to show on certain possessions, but there’s still nothing like seeing James sprint down the floor in transition or driving down the middle of the paint once he’s gotten past a defender.

It remains to be seen if James continues to play after this season, but he does decide to return it’s hard to imagine him slowing down. He has proven that he can defy Father Time, something that teammates like Rui Hachimura believe won’t be appreciated until the Lakers star retires.

Luka Doncic believes chemistry with LeBron James and Austin isn’t there yet

On paper, a roster featuring Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves should be considered a contender but the trio has yet to fully find its footing on the floor yet. Even Doncic admitted that he feels like the chemistry with his co-stars isn’t quite there yet but said they’re working on it.

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However, he and the Lakers endured a rough outing in the loss to the Boston Celtics as they were often seen struggling with their rival’s defensive pressure. It’s no secret that the Lakers lack true playmakers outside of their “Big 3” so the Celtics pressured the ball handlers on nearly every possession and came away with several steals and transition points.

Los Angeles clearly got frustrated with the officiating as they felt Boston was getting away with more contact than normal, and it led to the team spiraling in the second half. The Lakers ultimately lost to the Celtics, with all three stars struggling to score efficiently.

Doncic had 25 points, but acknowledged that he and the team need to be better offensively despite any increased physicality.

“I think they were physical. They were playing great defense. So we need better offense,” Doncic said after the loss. “We scored 89 points. That’s not like us, so we got to be better.”

Doncic emphasized that the only way to handle physicality is to meet it head on with more of it.

“You’ve just got to match the physicality on both ends, especially on the defensive end. You got to match the physicality,” he said.

Doncic also believes that when referees are letting them play that way, the Lakers need to do the same.

“I think we need to look at how teams like Boston play, especially defensive end. They’re very aggressive, grabbing and holding. So the referees are letting us play for sure. I think we need to look a little bit at that and play physically on both ends.”

Los Angeles may not be the biggest or most athletic team in the league, but they’ve certainly got more room to play tougher than they have been. Far too often, the Lakers allow teams like the Celtics to set the tone of a game and they need to start being the ones to dictate terms instead.

Luka Doncic supported Lakers’ deadline approach

The Lakers had several needs that needed to be addressed at the trade deadline, but the only move they made was swapping out Gabe Vincent for Luke Kennard. Luka Doncic obviously needs more help to contend for a title, but he was reportedly supportive of the team’s deadline approach.

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