The Lakers weren’t able to muster up enough energy against the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, allowing the Magic to shoot 52 percent on 32 3-point attempts for a 127-105 loss. Julius Randle and Jordan Clarkson each finished with 20 points, but they never had a lead after the first quarter, and looked like they deflated in the third quarter, when Orlando outscored them 43-30. This was disappointing, since they had two days rest before this game. They were able to bounce back against the Nets on Friday, with Brook Lopez helping deliver a 102-99 win over his former team. The Nets had a chance to claim the lead late, but Lopez blocked a shot and Joe Harris couldn’t send the game to overtime.
Lopez stepped up in the Lakers final game of their five-game road trip, and the Lakers beat the Thunder 108-104. “I was most proud of the way that we engaged ourselves in the fight this time,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said. “Again, we went off to a good start where we were competing back and forth and this time, we sustained it for much longer.”