Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) goes up to dunk between Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, second from left, and guard Jalen Suggs, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lakers forward LeBron James, second from front right, and forward Jarred Vanderbilt, right, react after a dunk by guard Austin Reaves, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lakers guard Luke Kennard, second from right, celebrates after his winning baskett with center Jaxson Hayes, left, guard Austin Reaves (15) and forward LeBron James (23) in an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) is fouled by Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) as Magic forward Tristan da Silva, right, helps defend during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) goes up to shoot as Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) goes up to shoot between Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) and center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) goes up to dunk between Orlando Magic forward Jamal Cain, second from left, and guard Jalen Suggs, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, March 21, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
ORLANDO — Luke Kennard stood alone on the left wing. Was there any doubt?
The NBA’s best 3-point shooter drilled a 3-pointer with less than a second left, sending the Lakers bench into bedlam and bringing the Lakers to a 105-104 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday night.
On Feb. 26, the Lakers bungled an after-timeout play to lose to the Orlando Magic when Luka Doncic passed up an open look. The loss was a part of a three-game skid before the Lakers began to turn it around. This time, Kennard got the ball. And he made no mistake on his follow-through.
The Lakers have now won nine consecutive games, clawing the victory away from the Magic in the final seconds after a back-and-forth fourth quarter. Kennard finished with 13 points, making three of his four 3-pointers on the evening. Doncic led the Lakers with 33 points on 12-for-30 shooting on Saturday night, while guard Austin Reaves added 26 points on 10-for-20 shooting.
Doncic recorded his 40th 30-point game of the season, becoming the fourth Laker in franchise history to do so. He joins Elgin Baylor, Kobe Bryant and Jerry West on the list.
After Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season with 1:19 remaining in the third quarter – one that, if not rescinded, would lead to a one-game suspension to be served Monday against the Detroit Pistons – the Lakers made a valiant effort to grab their ninth win in a row.
Doncic’s pullup jumper with 1:32 left in the game brought the Lakers to a 100-99 deficit, but Wendell Carter Jr., one of seven Magic players to score in double figures on Saturday night, spotted up from mid-range to replenish the Magic lead to three points. The Lakers had a chance to tie the game when Reaves missed an open look from 3 while down three with 9.5 seconds remaining, but Deandre Ayton picked up the offensive rebound, getting fouled before he could pass the ball out for a second-chance look.
Earlier in the fourth quarter, while trailing 89-82 after Magic guard Desmond Bane cut to the hoop for a driving layup, Lakers backup center Jaxson Hayes converted an alley-oop dunk off a feed from LeBron James before converting a layup on the Lakers’ following possession. Reaves sank a floating jumper with 8:22 remaining to cut Orlando’s lead to one as a part of the 6-0 scoring spurt.
Reaves temporarily provided the Lakers with a one-point lead when, with 5:25 remaining in the fourth quarter, he drilled his first 3-pointer of the game with a step-back look from the left wing, but across the final five minutes, he and his teammates shot a combined 3 for 12. Across a three-minute span, the Lakers missed seven consecutive shots until James lay in a layup with 2:02 remaining.
The Lakers (45-26) led by as many as 14 points in the first quarter, but across a span running through the middle of the second quarter, the Magic outscored the Lakers 22-2 to take a lead that would hold for most of the night. Squandering a 16-point first quarter from Doncic, in which the Lakers led 37-30 at the end of the period while shooting 69.6% from the field (their fifth-best mark of the season in the first quarter), the Lakers lost for the first time in 16 days when they fell to the Denver Nuggets on March 5.
Doncic picked up his 16th technical foul of the season after getting in a heated back-and-forth with Magic center Goga Bitadze. While Doncic was shooting free throws in the third quarter, Bitadze appeared to say something directed Doncic’s way, causing a stoppage in play.
While Doncic ran back down the court to play defense, the officials deemed the language the players were using as worthy of a double technical foul.