The Los Angeles Lakers fell 110-109 to the Orlando Magic after guard Luka Dončić and forward LeBron James couldn’t find a good shot on their final possession
The Los Angeles Lakers fell 110-109 on Feb. 24 to the Orlando Magic at the Crypto.com Arena after guard Luka Dončić made an awkward pass to forward LeBron James on their final possession as they failed to score.
With 6.7 seconds left on the clock, Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. made a layup to give Orlando a one-point lead. The Lakers called a timeout before James inbounded a pass to Dončić.
Once Dončić had the ball, it appeared he had an open shot, but he held the ball instead of shooting. Magic forward Paolo Banchero and guard Anthony Black proceeded to double-team Dončić, preventing him from getting off a shot.
With less than five seconds on the clock, Dončić passed the ball to James.
“I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far,” Dončić said. “Tried to take one dribble closer. And I probably shouldn’t have picked up the ball and just tried to attack.”
Lakers crumble on the final play of the game… Magic win!
Luka had a WIDE OPEN look 😳 pic.twitter.com/O4uxlufhKo
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 25, 2026
James shot a 3-point attempt that bounced off the rim and backboard, failing to go in. The Lakers rebounded the ball but time ran out before they could get off a shot, securing the victory for the Magic.
After the game, James said he thought Dončić had a good shot.
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“I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,” James said. “Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed [Orlando’s defense] to get back in front of him. And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look. That’s my POV.”
LeBron James on the final possession tonight:
“Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that. I thought he had a good look…I was kind of off balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2026
Dončić was 2-10 from beyond the arch during the game, but he said he thought he had enough time to get in a better position, which is why he didn’t shoot the ball.
“Maybe a little bit,” Dončić said. “I think I thought it was more time. It was, what, six, seven seconds. It was enough time to get a better look, try to drive the ball.”
Dončić also said he did not speak to James about the play after the game, and despite thinking James had a good shot to win it, he should taken the shot.
“I shouldn’t have picked up the ball,” Dončić. “I should have attacked.”
The Lakers had a 12-point lead early in the third and led 80-79 entering the fourth quarter, meaning this is the first time all season the Lakers lost a game after leading through the first three quarters. They had previously been 25-0.
Banchero was the leading scorer in the game as he had 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in 38 minutes on the court. Dončić led the scoring for the Lakers with 22 points and also had nine rebounds and 15 assists.
The Lakers’ next game is tomorrow against the Phoenix Suns at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. This will be their first road game after an eight-game home stand where they went 4-4.
“It’s a bit upsetting,” Lakers center Deandre Ayton said. “We still got a lot of chances to just get in as good of a position as we can. Did feel weird in the homestand, just being 4-4. It was tough losses and played against some really good teams.