The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic 105-104 during their showdown at the Kia Center on Saturday night. Luke Kennard saved the Purple and Gold, as he hit a clutch 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds left to give them a one-point lead.
Luka Doncic fueled L.A.’s win with 33 points, five rebounds, eight assists and four steals. Austin Reaves, for his part, added 26 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals.
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Kennard chipped in 13 points, while LeBron James recorded 12 points and six boards. Center Deandre Ayton led the team in rebounding with 12 on top of nine points.
For the Magic, no one scored more than 20 points. However, they had seven players scoring in double figures, led by Paolo Banchero’s 16. Guard Jalen Suggs tallied 14 points and six assists.
The victory extended the Lakers’ winning streak to nine games, improving their record to 46-25 on the season and keeping them at No. 3 in the West.
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) looks on after a game.Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
(Jerome Miron-Imagn Images)
Unfortunately for the Magic, the Lakers’ win was aided by the referees’ officiating mistakes. According to the NBA’s Last 2 Minute Report, there were two incorrect non-calls and one incorrect call during the contest, all of which favored L.A.
The incorrect non-calls involved Ayton. The first one occurred with less than 90 seconds remaining, while the other happened with under 40 seconds on the clock. In both instances, the NBA deemed that Ayton should have been called for a defensive three-second violation for staying “in the paint for longer than three seconds without imminently actively guarding an opponent.”
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The second missed call hurt the Magic in particular, especially since they were ahead 104-101 at the time. Had it been called, the shot clock would have reset to 14 seconds and Orlando would have kept possession. That would have given the home team more time to burn the clock.
As for the incorrect call, it was equally costly for the Magic. Tristan da Silva was called for a personal foul on Ayton after the Lakers big man rebounded the ball with 5.5 seconds remaining.
Ayton got two free throws due to the foul and made one, making it a 104-102 game. It paved the way for Kennard’s game-winner.
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Nonetheless, the NBA said that it should not have been called a foul on da Silva, noting that the Magic forward got “his hand to the ball to begin the dislodge before incidental contact occurs with Ayton’s arm.”
That being said, even with the Lakers retaining possession, they would have been forced to take a 3-pointer to force overtime had the foul not been called.
The Magic dropped to 38-32 on the season with the loss and extended their winless run to four games. Obviously, they could have put an end to their slump had the last two minutes of the game been called perfectly.
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Doncic and the Lakers return to action on Monday against the Detroit Pistons. As for the Magic, they will try to get back to the win column against the Indiana Pacers on the same day.
Related: NBA’s Final Decision on Luka Doncic Suspension Causes a Stir
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Mar 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.