The Los Angeles Lakers were just moments away from securing a win against the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night. However, a loose ball ended up in Wendell Carter’s hands, leading to increased tension within the team’s ranks.
Carter’s layup gave the Magic a one-point lead, and LeBron James missed a final shot, resulting in a 110-109 victory for Orlando. After the game, James’ comments hinted at growing frustrations among the Lakers, currently sitting in sixth place.
Lakers Came Close to a Winning Home Streak
The Lakers recently transitioned from an eight-game road trip to an eight-game home stand at the Crypto.com Center. After finishing 5-3 on the road, this latest loss left them with a 4-4 home record, putting them 1.5 games behind the third-place Houston Rockets.
James expressed his disappointment post-game. The Magic had come back from a double-digit deficit to take the lead, but Luka Doncic assisted James for a go-ahead dunk. The Lakers managed to defend well and forced a miss from Anthony Black. However, the ball found its way to Carter, who scored the final basket.