On Monday evening, the Los Angeles Lakers played the Magic in Orlando, Florida.
The Lakers lost by a score of 118-106.
Luka Doncic finished with 32 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and one steal while shooting 9/23 from the field and 4/10 from the three-point range in 38 minutes of playing time.
Many people reacted to his performance on social media.
@LSH_lakeshow: “Luka just kicked the ball and realized he hit a fan 💀😂”
@Klutch_23: “Still not one good game from the trio of LeBron Luka and Austin since the first Nuggets game.
The meshing will take more time than anticipated.”
@LakersNation: “Luka showin up on defense, and then fouled on the 3 by KCP
He knocks down all 3 and we’re within 7″
@ThePettiestLA: “Luka has been sensational. Need to see that fight in everyone else.”
@RajChipalu: “Still some growing pains with Bron Luka & Austin on the offensive end.
Too reliant on contested shot making right now.”
The Lakers dropped to 43-28 in 71 games, which has them as the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
ORLANDO, Fla. — In a moment when the crowd was quiet and the in-arena music stopped blaring, you could hear the Orlando Magic bench screaming out instructions to teammates on the floor, frantically pointing to places the Lakers were trying to attack.
The yelling was clearly heard from the other side of the court, and the Orlando defense responded, talking their way through switches.
That LeBron James still found a seam and made a tough shot didn’t matter. The Magic were connected. They were communicating. They looked, really, like the Lakers used to look, an energy that carried over to Orlando’s offense in a 118-106 win over the Lakers.
Three-Time NBA All-Star Makes Bold Take On Lakers’ Austin Reaves
The Los Angeles Lakers will enter the 2025 NBA Playoffs will Finals aspirations, and that’s in large part due to their star duo of LeBron James and Luka Doncic. After a shocking blockbuster deal brought Doncic from Dallas to Los Angeles, the multi-time All-NBA guard is finally coming into his own with the Lakers.
However, a player who also deserves a lot of credit is guard Austin Reaves. Enjoying the best season of his career, his contract is proving to be an absolute steal for the Lakers. With a player option he’ll likely decline in 2026, former Memphis Grizzlies guard and ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas thinks that there’s a higher ceiling for Reaves elsewhere.
“Someone can make him the number one option,” Arenas said on his podcast. “…That’s his ceiling. It all depends on the luck and what he wants to do. The talent is there, the skill is there, the willingness to get better is there. He’s holding his own. He’s gotten better every year.”
While he’s said in the past he had opportunities to get drafted in the second round, Reaves passed and took the opportunity to sign with the Lakers as a UDFA. Reaves averaged 7.3 points per game as a rookie and is now up to 19.7 points per game.
As the cap continues to rise the NBA and Reaves improves, there’s no telling just how much money he could get offered as a free agent in 2026. If Los Angeles does opt to let him walk, Reaves could very well become an All-Star-level player for the right team.
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