New FSM Essential Recap: Lakers vs Magic – Game 28
Los Angeles Lakers (14-13) | Orlando Magic (8-17)
The Los Angeles Lakers came away with a 106-94 victory over the Orlando Magic thanks to another dominant effort from LeBron James.
It was a solid start for the Lakers, who got out to a 9-3 lead thanks to three Magic turnovers and a couple of drives from James. However, Orlando quickly rebounded and took an 11-9 lead as they began to hit from the outside, while Los Angeles surprisingly found it difficult to score against their porous defense.
The Magic ripped off a 14-2 run as the Lakers struggled to take care of the basketball, though Carmelo Anthony was able to stop the bleeding with a vintage midrange jumper. DeAndre Jordan came up with some clean blocks, but L.A. would head into the second quarter trailing 25-18.
James woke up the Staples Center crowd with an emphatic block against the glass early in the second, while Anthony nailed a corner three to bring the Lakers to a within four. James ignited the team on both ends of the floor and found Talen Horton-Tucker on a fastbreak dunk that gave Los Angeles a 32-31 lead.
When James went to the bench, Orlando took full advantage and eventually regained control of the game though Russell Westbrook kept them close.
James restored order in the closing minutes of the half, but L.A. still found themselves down 52-49.
Westbrook came up limping on the last play of the half but was able to walk back to the locker room under his own power.
Fortunately, Westbrook was able to start the third, but James once again kicked things off as he drained consecutive threes. The 36-year-old superstar looked like he was enjoying himself on the court with how animated he was after making plays, which eventually led to a 19-0 run.
The Lakers continued to pitch their shutout, and James excited the crowd again after soaring in for his third block. Orlando seemed shellshocked, and Los Angeles would walk into the fourth comfortably ahead 85-61.
Westbrook joined in on the fun with a hard drive to the rim and found Jordan on a nifty pass for a lay-in. However, Orlando showed some signs of life offensively and got within 16 points to make things a little interesting.
James made a deep three to resettle the team, but the Magic did not stop trying to chip away at the deficit. Orlando was able to get as close as 10 points, but Los Angeles did just enough to keep them at bay and secure the victory.
James was asked what his secret is to bouncing back so quickly? “Sleep,” said James. “Sleep, and inspiration from my son and his team. … I slept from 12:00 to 8:00 last night. After waking up and having breakfast, I went to bed from 8:30 to 12:30. It’s pretty good, isn’t it? “
Russell Westbrook scored 19 points, and James scored his 101st career triple-double in the last few minutes of the game. James also made three exciting blocks in an all-around effort, demonstrating that the four MVPs are still formidable. The Lakers can pose a threat to the championship if they can maintain their health somehow.
“Our team is different when he is active and has proper theater and reading,” Westbrook said. This was another game in which he pushed his will. (Blocked shots) are just big for us, and I know it’s big for him to show that he’s still doing what he’s doing every year. It’s great to see. “
The Lakers will now travel to Dallas to take on the Mavericks. The game will begin at 4:30 and can be seen live on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN.
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– Matt Dobbs – Franchise Sports Media
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