Lakers Game Preview: Game 57 vs Magic
A rebound against a team in the Lakers’ weight class
Let’s do this again.
The disappointing loss in the high-profile matchup against the Celtics reinforced what we’ve seen all season: the Lakers are not on the level of the top-tier teams. Maybe, even likely, that is simply not happening this season. Over 56 games, they have had plenty of opportunities to prove everyone wrong, but they just haven’t.
But the games still have to be played. And tonight, the Lakers face a team much closer to their lane, the 30–26 Orlando Magic. If we go by point differential, the dreaded metric we’ve used all season to explain why the Lakers are further from the best than their record suggests, these two teams are actually shoulder to shoulder in the rankings, at 17th and 16th.
All these words just to say this: the Magic should be a good opportunity to cleanse some of the sour taste from the last defeat. Not an elite team, but a competent one that always plays hard and is trying to avoid the play-in spots in the East.
Now the Lakers might catch a bit of a break, as the Magic could be without two of their three best players. Franz Wagner is out with an ankle injury, while Jalen Suggs, who missed the last two games due to back spasms, is now listed as questionable with a back strain on the latest injury report. Suggs is their most impactful defender and leads the team in assists, so his potential absence would be significant.
Lakers (34-22) vs Magic (30-26) game facts
Rest: LAL on 1 day of rest; ORL on 1 day of rest
Ranking: LAL 17th in Point Diff (-0.5), ORL 16th in Point Diff (-0.2)
LAL vs ORL 2024-25 record: 0-2
LAL injuries: Jaxson Hayes (doubtful)
ORL injuries: Franz Wagner (OUT), Jalen Suggs (questionable)
LAL projected starting five: Luka Dončić (G), Marcus Smart (G), Austin Reaves (G), LeBron James (F), Deandre Ayton (C)
LAL key reserves: Rui Hachimura, Jake LaRavia, Jarred Vanderbilt, Luke Kennard
ORL projected starting five: Anthony Black (G), Desmond Bane (G), Tristan Da Silva (F), Paolo Banchero (F), Wendell Carter Jr. (C)
ORL key reserves: Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, Moritz Wagner, Jevon Carter, Jase Richardson
ORL rotation:
