Wagner and Banchero power the Magic to a 118-106 win over the struggling Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, left, reaches in to try to steal the ball from Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/John Raoux
ORLANDO, Fla. — Franz Wagner had 32 points and eight assists, Paolo Banchero added 30 points and seven rebounds and the Orlando Magic sent the Los Angeles Lakers to their third straight loss, 118-106 on Monday night.
Luka Doncic scored 32 points and LeBron James added 24 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who have lost seven of their last 10.
Anthony Black came off the bench and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and six assists for the Magic.
Austin Reaves scored eight of his 17 points in the first quarter for the Lakers, who led by nine points late in the first half, but were outscored 34-18 in the third quarter.
Takeaways
Lakers: With a third straight loss in the opener of a four-game trip, the Lakers (43-28) slipped into a tie for fourth place in the Western Conference with idle Memphis.
Magic: Orlando (34-38) snapped a six-game home losing streak and remained eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Key moment
After the Lakers had trimmed a 17-point deficit to seven with 5:40 remaining, Wagner and Banchero combined for Orlando's next 10 points, including six on layups, for a 110-98 lead with 3:19 left.
Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner, right, goes to the basket past Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Monday, March 24, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. Credit: AP/John Raoux
Key stat
The lowest scoring team in the NBA at 104.8 points per game, the Magic shot 49.4% overall, made 15 3-pointers and made just nine turnovers.
Up next
The Lakers play at Indiana on Wednesday night. The Magic are at Charlotte on Tuesday night.
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