LOS ANGELES — Trust takes a long time to cultivate. It doesn’t take much for it to erode. Perhaps the Orlando Magic could have lost some trust when they were beaten at the double-overtime buzzer by the Phoenix Suns’ Jalen Green on Saturday night. Maybe they got some of it back when the LA Clippers’ Bennedict Mathurin had a chance to beat the Magic in their next game, also on the final shot, but failed to capitalize.
The Magic completed a 110-109 comeback win in Los Angeles on Tuesday night against the Los Angeles Lakers, on a night LeBron James missed a desperation turnaround 3-point attempt following a belated pass from Luka Dončić. The win cemented several layers of trust for the Magic: in their scheme, their players, their skill and their ability to execute.
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero had it going Tuesday night. The top pick in the 2022 draft rebounded a missed free throw by James with 42.3 seconds left and Orlando trailing by two. Banchero already had 36 points, his most in four weeks and his second-most of the season.
On the ensuing Magic possession, Banchero used a screen from center Wendell Carter Jr. and got two feet in the paint. But instead of attempting a shot or trying to score through contact, Banchero felt there was a better option outside.
“It was kind of a bang-bang play,” Banchero said. “Dell came and set the screen, and then it was me and (Deandre) Ayton, one-on-one. I kind of hesitated, which kind of bought me some time to read through my peripheral. And I saw LeBron (James) tag Wendell, because Ayton was in front of me. So I was like, ‘Okay, he left.’”
Both corners were filled on the possession, with Anthony Black, who was struggling with his shot, on the weak side. Tristan da Silva, who made 3-of-5 3s, keeping the defending Rui Hachimura from straying too far, was on the strong side. James sank in, leaving Desmond Bane, a 39 percent 3-point shooter who had missed six of his first seven attempts. But shooters shoot.
“Paolo creates a problem every time he steps on the floor,” Bane said. “Getting guys involved, touching the paint. He drove, the defense collapsed, and he got trust in everybody.”
Banchero said he was elated to see it was Bane left open, and “knew that was going in” as soon as Bane rose.
“I stepped into it with confidence and knocked it down,” Bane said of his go-ahead 3 that forced a Lakers timeout with 34.6 seconds left. “That’s how the game goes, you know. You can’t make every single shot. Just stay with it, and keep trusting it.”
BIG TIME BANE pic.twitter.com/mexos4llCw
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) February 25, 2026
The Magic had more work to do to secure the win. Dončić set up Hachimura for a corner 3-point attempt that missed everything, but the Magic failed to rebound the errant shot. On the ensuing baseline out-of-bounds play, Dončić found a cutting James for a go-ahead dunk, as Black failed to help Jonathan Isaac off a Reaves back screen.
Magic coach Jamahl Mosley could have used a timeout to set up a potential go-ahead score with 26.3 seconds left. But he liked the personnel on the floor, which included the defensively vulnerable trio of Dončić, James, and Reaves with Ayton and Hachimura, who was in instead of starter Marcus Smart. Mosley wanted his team to get it done live.
“Well, you can call the timeout, then they have time to draw their play,” Mosley said. “They have time to get the defense that they want in. Now, we had called the play of what we wanted the time before — that we got the shot, the 3 from Des. But the ability to get downhill was what was important. We had the matchups that we wanted. And trusting Paolo, which is what we do, him being able to make the right play at the right time is big for us without them being able to set their defense and get the matchups that they want at that time.”
This time, Banchero called his own number, using a Carter screen to get Ayton switched onto him and Dončić to Carter. His midrange attempt came up short, but Black beat Reaves to the offensive rebound, which wound up in Carter’s hands. He scored through contact, and the Magic went on to win after James missed the Lakers’ final shot.
WENDELL CARTER JR CALLS GAME pic.twitter.com/xG5fv93CuW
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) February 25, 2026
It capped a triumphant night for Carter, who had his most productive game of the month with 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting to go with 11 rebounds. It was his first 20-10 game of the season.
“We did a really good job of getting a great stop to end the game,” said Carter. “Those guys have been encouraging me with the offensive slump I’ve been in the last couple games. They just encouraged me to continue to stay aggressive.”
The Magic return home Thursday, having won six of their last eight, their best stretch of play since the NBA Cup. Last year, the heroes in a road win over the Lakers were Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs. With those two unable to play due to injury, the Magic needed some different heroes. And they needed to rely on their trust.
“The locker room, we can feel it,” said Bane, the Magic’s top offseason addition. “It feels different. It feels better. I think that you need moments like this throughout the season to be able to build off of it. Nothing better than being able to go home and, you know, take the swag to the crib.”