The Toronto Raptors defeated the New York Knicks , 117 - 92 , at Madison Square Garden on Thursday evening . The Raptors ( 53 - 23 ) came into Thursday 's game looking to avoid a trap against the hapless Knicks ( 14 - 61 ) . Toronto made sure that would n't be the case with a strong start , jumping out to a 55 - 36 halftime lead . The visitors would n't take their foot off of the gas in the second half , either , as they `` won `` the final two quarters as well by a 62 - 56 margin . As the final score implied , New York faltered in all aspects , as they shot just 36 percent and committed 16 turnovers . Pascal Siakam led the way with 31 points , adding five rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block . Danny Green supplied 15 points , four rebounds , two assists and one steal . Fred VanVleet and Jeremy Lin generated matching 12 - point tallies while dishing out eight assists and bringing down five rebounds , respectively . Norman Powell poured in 11 points . Serge Ibaka contributed a 10 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included one assist and two blocks . Mitchell Robinson paced the Knicks with a 19 - point , 21 - rebound double - double that also included two blocks and one steal . Kadeem Allen totaled 18 points , two assists , one rebound and one block . Emmanuel Mudiay delivered 11 points , four boards and one assist . Dewayne Dotson and Kevin Knox pitched in nine points apiece and hauled in five and three rebounds , respectively . The Raptors next pay a visit to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night , while the Knicks remain home and take on the Miami Heat on Saturday evening .


The Miami Heat defeated the New York Knicks , 101 - 92 , at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night . The Heat ( 38 - 38 ) came into the contest with no shortage of motivation , considering they needed every win they could get to hold off the Orlando Magic for the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference . In contrast , no one would have exactly blamed the Knicks ( 14 - 62 ) for lack of motivation , considering they 'd been reduced to playing spoiler months ago . However , it was New York who jumped out to a surprising 61 - 55 halftime lead , putting on an offensive clinic in the first half . It was a completely different story coming out of intermission , however , with Miami buckling down and ultimately limiting their hosts to a meager 31 points over the final two periods . Meanwhile , the Heat found enough offense to overcome their deficit and pull away in the latter stages of the fourth . Dion Waiters led the Heat with 28 points , adding six assists , three rebounds , two steals and one block . Hassan Whiteside generated a 17 - point , 13 - rebound double - double that also included one steal and one block . Dwyane Wade posted 16 points , seven rebounds , three assists , one steal and one block . Kelly Olynyk totaled 12 points , 11 rebounds , one assist and one steal . Bam Adebayo finished with eight points , six rebounds , two assists and two steals . Emmanuel Mudiay led the Knicks with 24 points , adding five rebounds and four assists . Luke Kornet delivered 17 points , eight boards , three assists , three steals and three blocks . Kevin Knox managed 16 points , one rebound and one steal . Dennis Smith , Jr. tallied 12 points , four rebounds , one assist and two steals . Mitchell Robinson furnished nine points , 14 rebounds , four blocks and three steals . The Heat remain on the road and take on the Boston Celtics on Monday night , while the Knicks remain at home to take on the Chicago Bulls on Monday evening as well .


The New York Knicks defeated the visiting Chicago Bulls , 113 - 105 , at Madison Square Garden on Monday evening . The Knicks got out to a great start at home , as they took a 37 - 19 lead after one quarter . The Bulls tightened up in the second but could not make much progress , as they managed to outscore the hosts by one point in the quarter , only to trail by 17 at halftime . The Bulls kept fighting in the third , but the Knicks kept a comfortable cushion , and managed to carry a 14 - point lead into the final frame . The visitors kept chipping away in the fourth , and made it just a five - point game with eight minutes to go . However , the Knicks made a final rally to push back ahead by double - digits , and were able to cruise to the finish . This marks the end of a six - game losing streak for the Knicks , and the fifth straight loss for the Bulls . Luke Kornet led the Knicks with 24 points , six rebounds , three blocks and an assist , in 28 minutes . Kevin Knox followed up with 19 points , nine rebounds , three assists and a block , while Damyean Dotson added 18 points , six rebounds , six assists , a steal and a block . The Knicks shot 50 percent from the field , including 18 - of - 38 from deep . Robin Lopez led the Bulls with 29 points , seven rebounds , two assists and a block , in 30 minutes . JaKarr Sampson followed up with 22 points , seven rebounds , a steal and a block , while Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot chipped in 10 points , three rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Bulls shot 45 percent from the field , including 4 - of - 17 from long range . The Bulls ( 21 - 57 ) will look to snap their losing streak as they take on the Wizards in Washington on Wednesday . The Knicks ( 15 - 62 ) take on the Magic in Orlando on Wednesday .


The New York Knicks defeated the visiting Washington Wizards , 113 - 110 , at Madison Square Garden on Sunday evening . The Knicks got out to a strong start at home , as they took a 29 - 23 lead after one quarter . The Wizards turned the tables in the second , where they outscored the Knicks by 10 , to take a 56 - 52 lead in to halftime . The Wizards stayed strong to start the second half , as the led most of the third quarter , while the expanded their lead to 10 by the start of the fourth . However , the Knicks rallied in the fourth and made it a two - point game half way through the quarter . The Knicks managed to come up clutch down the stretch to secure the home win , as they outscored the visitors by 13 in the final quarter . Mario Hezonja led the Knicks with 30 points , six rebounds , five assists and two steals , in 35 minutes . Luke Kornet tallied 17 points , seven rebounds , four blocks , a steal and an assist , while Kevin Knox added 16 points , seven rebounds , five assists , a steal and a block . The Knicks shot 51 percent from the field , including 17 - of - 34 from deep . Meanwhile , Jeff Green led the Wizards with 19 points , two rebounds , an assist and a steal , in 16 minutes off the bench . Thomas Bryant tallied 17 points , seven rebounds , two blocks and a steal , while Bobby Portis finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds , in 24 minutes . The Wizards shot 42 percent from the field , including 10 - of - 35 from long range . The Wizards ( 32 - 49 ) play host to the Celtics on Tuesday . The Knicks ( 16 - 64 ) take on the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday .


The Detroit Pistons defeated the host New York Knicks 115 - 89 , at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday evening . The Pistons got down to business right away in an important game for them , as they needed to win in order to ensure a playoff spot . Despite the importance of the game , Blake Griffin ( knee ) was forced to remain sidelined . Nonetheless , the Pistons outscored the Knicks 36 - 22 in the first quarter , and added another 10 points to their lead by halftime . They carried on in the third , to build a 33 - point lead heading into the fourth and cruise to a win and guarantee themselves a playoff spot . Luke Kennard led the Pistons with 27 points , five rebounds and two assists , in 24 minutes off the bench . Andre Drummond finished with 20 points , 18 rebounds , three assists and two steals , in 27 minutes , while Reggie Jackson added 21 points , seven assist and four rebounds . The Pistons shot 48 percent from the field , including 14 - of - 33 from deep . John Jenkins led the Knicks with 16 points , three rebounds and three assists , in 27 minutes off the bench . Kadeem Allen tallied 13 points , eight assists , five rebounds , two steals and a block , while Henry Ellenson added 12 points , four rebounds and two blocks . The Knicks shot 40 percent from the field , including 9 - of - 30 from long range . The Pistons are set to face the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs .


The Houston Rockets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 125 - 115 , at Staples Center on Saturday evening . Whether there 's such a thing as an early - season `` must win `` is debatable , but the Rockets ( 1 - 1 ) came into Saturday 's contest with a certain sense of urgency . Houston had gotten embarrassed by a 131 - 112 score on their home court in their regular - season opener , as the New Orleans Pelicans came in and delivered a thorough beating . The Rockets ( 1 - 1 ) seemed intent on avoiding a repeat despite a raucous road crowd that turned out for LeBron James ' home debut . The visitors jumped out to a 66 - 62 halftime edge , but they could n't shake the Lakers ( 0 - 2 ) in the third and entered the final period holding a slim one - point edge . However , a 10 - 3 run over the final 23 seconds finally sealed the hard - fought win . The Rockets ' work on the boards was key , as they out - rebounded the hosts by a 54 - 44 margin . A pivotal development was the ejection of Rajon Rondo . Brandon Ingram and Chris Paul with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter after a melee ensued following a James Harden drive to the basket . Harden led all scorers with 36 points , a total he supplemented with seven rebounds , five assists , two steals and one block . Paul posted a 28 - point , 10 - assist double - double that also included seven rebounds and a steal . Clint Capela managed a 19 - point , 12 - rebound double - double . Gerald Green led the second unit with 13 points and also posted two rebounds and one steal . Carmelo Anthony totaled seven points , 10 rebounds , one assist and one steal in 29 minutes off the bench . James paced the Lakers with 24 points and added five rebounds , five assists , two steals and one block . JaVale McGee was next with 16 points , six rebounds , two assists and five blocks . Lonzo Ball saw a boost in playing time , tallying 26 minutes and producing 14 points , six rebounds and four assists . Rondo contributed a 13 - point , 10 - assist double - double that also included seven rebounds and two steals . Ingram registered 12 points , four boards , one steal and one block . Josh Hart and Kyle Kuzma had matching 11 - point efforts off the bench . The Lakers remain home and take on the San Antonio Spurs in a Monday evening showdown , while the Rockets remain in the city and retake the Staples Center floor versus the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday evening .


The visiting San Antonio Spurs defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 143 - 142 , at Staples Center in overtime on Monday evening . San Antonio ( 2 - 1 ) seemingly put the nail in the coffin with just under 90 seconds remaining in regulation , as a put - back basket from LaMarcus Aldridge gave the Spurs an eight - point lead . The Lakers ( 0 - 3 ) , though , did what seemed impossible and launched an 80 run in the final 88 seconds of game time to force overtime . The run was capped by a deep , game - tying three - pointer from superstar forward LeBron James . Despite the momentum shift at the end of regulation , overtime saw plenty of back - and - forth . James had a chance to help LA seal at least a second overtime at the free - throw line , but missed both shots with 11 seconds remaining in OT . The Spurs ultimately gained the lead on a Patty Mills jumper in the final seconds of overtime . In addition to his clutch put - back , Aldridge scored a game - high 37 points in the tense win . He added 10 rebounds and five assists . His fellow All-Star , the newly - acquired DeMar DeRozan , scored 32 points and dished out a whopping 14 assists to lead the team . Rudy Gay contributed another 16 points . LA , meanwhile , was without starters Brandon Ingram and Rajon Rondo , who are currently serving suspensions for their involvement in an altercation in Saturday 's game against Houston . In their absence , James picked up the slack , scoring 32 points , grabbing eight rebounds , and matching DeRozan 's game high of 14 assists . Sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma added a whopping 37 points in the loss . The loss extended the Lakers ' losing streak to three games . The new - look team is still in search of its first win of the 2018 - 19 season . On Wednesday , San Antonio will host the Indiana Pacers while the Lakers will travel to Phoenix to face the Suns .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Denver Nuggets , 121 - 114 , at Staples Center on Thursday evening . With the game coming down to the wire , the Lakers ( 2 - 3 ) got hot at the right time . With under 80 seconds left , LA went on a quick 50 run to pull away . Sophomore point guard Lonzo Ball started things off with a clutch three - pointer to put the Lakers up five , which was followed by a steal and breakaway dunk from Kyle Kuzma to seal the win . Los Angeles was led by a triple - double from LeBron James , who scored 28 points to go with 11 assists and 11 rebounds . Kuzma added 22 points , two of which came on his game - clinching dunk . The Lakers also saw a breakout contribution from JaVale McGee , who scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in 31 minutes of action . Denver , meanwhile , saw continued excellence from star center Nikola Jokic . Jokic led the team with 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds . Third-year point guard Jamal Murray added 22 points and 10 rebounds . As a whole , the Nuggets struggled to find their shot from three - point range in the loss . Denver shot just 6 - of - 23 from beyond the arc . On Saturday , the Lakers will travel to San Antonio to take on the Spurs . The Nuggets , meanwhile , have the weekend off before hosting Anthony Davis and the Pelicans on Monday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks , 114,113 in a close game at Staples Center on Wednesday . It looked as though it would be an easy win for Los Angeles ( 3 - 5 ) , as the team held a double - digit lead through much of the second half . Dallas ( 2 - 6 ) , though , mounted an epic comeback effort , cutting the lead to six with 92 seconds of game time remaining . The Mavericks continued to whittle away at the deficit , cutting the lead to just one point on a Harrison Barnes three - pointer with 24 seconds remaining . Dallas finally tied the game on a Luka Doncic floater with only seven seconds left . With only seven seconds left , Los Angeles had one possession to try to take the lead and avoid overtime . Superstar forward LeBron James took matters into his own hands and drew a foul , but missed the first of his two free - throws with just two seconds remaining . On his second try , though , James knocked down the decisive free - throw , giving LA the one - point edge and the win . James led the Lakers with 29 points in the win . He added six assists and five rebounds . Veteran center JaVale McGee was also a key contributor in the win . McGee finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds in 34 minutes of action . As a team , the Lakers ' offense was outstanding . LA shot 51 percent from the field and 10 - of - 17 from three - point range . For the Mavericks , Wesley Matthews led the way with 21 points . Harrison Barnes added another 19 points in the loss . Rookie sensation Luka Doncic continued his strong start to the season , tallying 14 points to go with seven assists and five rebounds . Doncic entered Wednesday 's matchup averaging 20 points and 4 assists per game . Next up for Dallas is a visit from the New York Knicks on Friday . The Lakers , meanwhile , will travel to Portland to take on the Trail Blazers on Saturday .


The Toronto Raptors defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 121 - 107 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . Despite missing Kawhi Leonard ( ankle ) , the Raptors jumped out to a quick 10 - 4 start , and carried on to outscore the Lakers by a whopping 25 points in the first quarter , as they took a 42 - 17 lead into the second . The Raptors did not let up as they held at least a 20 - point lead for almost the entire second quarter . The Lakers kept fighting but could not make a dent in the colossal margin , as they still trailed by 21 heading into the final frame . The Raptors cruised to their third straight win and improved to 3 - 1 on the road , while this marked the end of a two - game win streak for the Lakers , and also their third home loss of the season . Serge Ibaka led the Raptors with 34 points , 10 rebounds , two assists and two steals , in 29 minutes of action . Kyle Lowry had an amazing night , with 21 points , 15 assists , six rebounds , two steals and one block , in 33 minutes . Pascal Siakam tallied 16 points , 13 rebounds , three assists and one steal , while Danny Green added 15 points . The Raptors shot 50 percent from the field , including 10 - of - 35 from long range . Meanwhile , Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 24 points , five rebounds and two assists , in 31 minutes . LeBron James tallied 18 points , six assists , two rebounds and one block , while Lonzo Ball chipped in 12 points , nine rebounds , four assists and two steals , in 23 minutes . The Lakers shot 46 percent from the field , including , 6 - of - 24 from long range . The Lakers ( 4 - 6 ) will look to bounce back , as they play host to the Timberwolves on Wednesday . The Raptors ( 9 - 1 ) head to Utah to take on the Jazz on Monday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 114 - 110 at Staples Center on Wednesday . The Lakers and Timberwolves battled all four quarters , wrestling with lead changes throughout . The Lakers came out with a run and gun style offense that saw Lonzo Ball push the pace , along with JaVale McGee finding some easy dunks down low . Minnesota entered the half with a two point lead , but the Lakers kept within striking distance all second half before taking the lead behind LeBron James ' leadership . Derrick Rose had the hot hand all night , but when it mattered most , Rose 's three point shot to take the lead in the waning seconds bounced off the rim after a great look at the top of the arc . The Lakers ( 5 - 6 ) were given three possessions with just under a minute left in the fourth quarter after new addition Tyson Chandler swatted back two rebounds towards Lebron James after a missed three pointer from himself and Kyle Kuzma . Chandler , who joined the team this week , made a massive impact with his nine rebounds . The Timberwolves set a new franchise record with 20 three pointers , seven of which came from the 2011 MVP Derrick Rose . Rose has seen a resurgence in his game and scored 31 points 11 - of - 17 shooting . Down 111 - 104 late in the fourth quarter , Rose hit back - to - back threes to single handedly keep his team alive . All five Minnesota starters finished in double figures scoring and all five also logged at least 37 minutes . LeBron James fell one assist shy of triple - double after he finished with 24 points , 10 rebounds and nine assists . Both the Timberwolves and Lakers will face the Sacramento Kings next , as the Kings will host a back - to - back with both teams starting with the Wolves on Friday and the Lakers Saturday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Atlanta Hawks , 107 - 106 , in a last - second thriller at Staples Center on Sunday evening . LeBron James won his team the game after almost giving it up , scoring the go - ahead basket on a put - back dunk with 15 seconds remaining after going 0 - of - 2 at the free - throw line . Atlanta , meanwhile , had the opportunity to answer on the final possession , putting the ball in the hands of rookie point guard Trae Young . Young drove to the basket and put up a lay - up as time expired , but was blocked by veteran center Tyson Chandler to end the game . In addition to his game - winning dunk , James led the Lakers ( 7 - 6 ) with 26 points . He added seven rebounds and four assists in the winning effort . Kyle Kuzma scored another 18 points and pulled down eight rebounds . The Lakers also enjoyed strong defense from their platoon of big men , as JaVale McGee and Tyson Chandler combined for six blocks on the night . LA is now 30 since signing Chandler as a free agent last week . Atlanta ( 3 - 10 ) found itself on the losing side once again , despite a number of stellar performances . Young had a team - high 12 assists while also scoring 20 points . Taurean Prince led the team with 23 points on 9 - of - 13 shooting . Big man Alex Len also posted a double - double , finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds . The Hawks will continue their West Coast road trip with a visit to Golden State on Tuesday . LA , meanwhile , will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Portland Trail Blazers , 126 - 117 , at Staples Center on Wednesday evening . The Trail Blazers got out to a great start on the road , and led 33 - 26 after one quarter . The Lakers turned the tables in the second , as they poured in 33 points , and held the Blazers to 22 , taking a 59 - 55 lead into halftime . The third quarter remained competitive , however the Lakers kept the advantage by outscoring Portland by four , to push their lead to eight , heading into the final frame . The Lakers kept their foot on the gas , as they pushed the lead to 15 , midway through the fourth . The Trail Blazers kept battling , but would only get as close as the nine - point margin , by which they lost . LeBron James led the charge for the Lakers with 44 points , 10 rebounds , nine assists , three blocks and one steal , in 36 minutes . JaVale McGee followed up with 20 points on 9 - of - 12 shooting , in 23 minutes . Brandon Ingram finished with 17 points , four assists , two rebounds and a steal , while Lonzo Ball tallied 11 points , six rebounds , three assists and a steal . The Lakers shot 47 percent from the field , including 15 - of - 32 from long range . Meanwhile , Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 31 points , 11 assists , eight rebounds and one block , in 37 minutes . C.J . McCollum followed up with 23 points , four assists , two steals and one rebound , in 35 minutes , while Jusuf Nurkic tallied 21 points , 14 rebounds , four blocks , three steals and one assist . The Trail Blazers shot 44 percent from the field , including 14 - of - 33 from long range . The Trail Blazers ( 10 - 4 ) will look to bounce back as they take on the Timberwolves in Minnesota on Friday . The Lakers ( 8 - 6 ) take on the Magic in Orlando on Saturday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz , 90 - 83 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The first half was a hard - fought defensive battle unlike any other for the Lakers ( 11 - 7 ) thus far this season , as the two teams entered halftime deadlocked at 38 - 38 . However , Los Angeles began to figure out the Jazz ( 8 - 11 ) in the third quarter while putting up 26 points , and they matched that total in the fourth to garner the victory . Despite Utah 's defensive reputation , it was the home squad that was more effective on that end of the floor , limiting Utah to 39 percent shooting , including just 17 percent from three - point range . The Jazz was significantly hurt by the Donovan Mitchell 's first - half exit from the game due to a rib injury . Alec Burks led the Jazz with 17 points and added five rebounds and one steal . Joe Ingles provided 16 points , eight boards and five assists . Rudy Gobert supplied 13 points , seven rebounds , one steal and one block . Derrick Favors delivered 10 points , four assists and three rebounds . Ricky Rubio generated just seven points on 3 - for - 12 shooting . Brandon Ingram paced the Lakers with 24 points , six rebounds and two steals . LeBron James managed 22 points , 10 rebounds , seven assists , two steals and one block . JaVale McGee compiled 12 points , four rebounds , three steals and two blocks . Kyle Kuzma tallied nine points , six rebounds and two steals . Lonzo Ball matched Kuzma 's scoring and also brought down 10 rebounds . The Jazz remain on the road and in California , next paying a visit to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night . The Lakers remain home and tangle with the Orlando Magic on Sunday afternoon .


The Orlando Magic defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 108 - 104 , at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon . The Lakers ( 11 - 8 ) and the Magic ( 10 - 10 ) played a very intense game and while Orlando seemed ready to cruise their way in the final minutes , Los Angeles mounted a furious comeback in the final 12 minutes that saw them tie the game into the final 60 seconds of the contest . But the Magic executed better down the stretch , and that was enough to get them a huge win playing on the road as they moved back to .500 . The score for each quarter read : 19 - 29 , 32 - 23 , 35 - 19 , and 22 - 33 . The Lakers came quite close to turn things around following a dismal third quarter , but they fell short and were forced to settle with a huge home loss . Nikola Vucevic was the best player for the Magic in this one since he finished with 31 points , 15 rebounds , seven assists , three blocks and two steals , making a huge impact on both ends of the court . Aaron Gordon added 17 points with four boards , and D.J . Augustin delivered 12 points , nine assists and five rebounds . Terrence Ross ( 16 points , six rebounds ) and Jonathon Simmons ( 10 points ) had solid outings off the bench as well . LeBron James filled the stat sheet nicely for the Lakers since he finished the game with 24 points , seven assists and four boards , but also committed six turnovers . Kyle Kuzma had 21 points with five assists and four rebounds , and Brandon Ingram chipped in with 17 points and six rebounds . JaVale McGee had 12 points , seven rebounds , and seven blocks .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers , 104 - 96 , at Staples Center on Thursday evening . The Lakers ( 12 - 9 ) came out of the gates seemingly intent on eradicating a two - game skid in short order , as they exploded for 38 first - quarter points while limiting the Pacers ( 13 - 9 ) to 15 . However , Indiana almost turned the tables completely on Los Angeles in the second quarter with their own 35 - point haul , and they entered halftime with a manageable 56 - 50 deficit . It was a much tighter game in the second half , but LeBron James helped ensure the win by scoring the Lakers ' final six points . It was a particularly impressive defensive performance for the home squad , which limited Indiana to a 37 percent figure from the field and forced them into 17 turnovers . James led the way for the Lakers with 38 points , a total he supplemented with nine rebounds , seven assists and two steals . Brandon Ingram followed with 14 points , three assists , one rebound , three blocks and one steal . Josh Hart contributed a bench - leading 13 points . Kyle Kuzma produced a near double - double with 11 points and nine rebounds while also adding two assists . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope matched Kuzma 's scoring total over 18 minutes off the bench . Domantas Sabonis led the Pacers with a 20 - point , 15 - rebound double - double that also included three assists , one steal and one block . Bojan Bogdanovic poured in 14 points while adding three rebounds and two assists . Thaddeus Young supplied 11 points , five boards , one assist and five steals . Doug McDermott and Cory Joseph had matching 10 - point tallies off the bench . The Pacers remain on the road and tangle with the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night , while the Lakers remain home and face off with the Dallas Mavericks on Friday evening .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks , 114 - 103 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The Mavericks got out to a great start on the road , with a 17 - 6 lead , just four minutes into the quarter . They kept up the momentum and build a , 32 - 22 , lead by the end of the quarter . The Mavs pushed their lead to 15 early in the second , but the Lakers were able to get on track and outscore the visitors , 23 - 13 , through the rest of the quarter , to cut the deficit to just two points by halftime . The Lakers picked up where they left off in the third , as they took the lead within the first few minutes , and went on to outscore the Mavs , 25 - 17 , in the quarter , to take a , 78 - 75 , lead heading into the final frame . They stayed on point in the fourth , and used a 15 - 3 run to push their lead to 16 , with four minutes left , which was enough to cruise to the finish line , for their second straight win . LeBron James led the Lakers with 28 points , five rebounds , four assists and one block , in 31 minutes . Brandon Ingram followed up with 19 points , four rebounds , four assists and one steal , while Kyle Kuzma tallied 15 points , 12 rebounds and six assists , in 36 minutes . The Lakers shot 49 percent from the field , including 9 - of - 30 from long range . Meanwhile , Harrison Barnes led the Mavericks with 29 points , five rebounds , two assists and two steals , in 34 minutes . Dennis Smith Jr. finished with 13 points , three rebounds and three assists , while Luka Doncic had a rough shooting night , going 2 - of - 13 from the field , for six points , but still contributed six rebounds , five assists , three steals and two blocks . The Mavs ( 10 - 10 ) will look to get back on track as they play host to the Clippers on Sunday . The Lakers ( 13 - 9 ) play host to the Suns on Sunday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns , 120 - 96 , at Staples Center on Sunday afternoon . The Lakers ( 14 - 9 ) have been on a roll of late , and clinched a third - straight win while winning eight of their last 11 contests with another dominant performance ; this time , they bounced back from a poor performance in the first quarter to destroy the Suns ( 4 - 19 ) . Phoenix started strong and finished the first quarter up by 10 points ( 31 - 21 ) , but the Lakers bounced back and a 40 - 15 win during the second quarter saw them up by 15 points at half time . Los Angeles won the remaining two quarters as well , 34 - 28 and 25 - 22 , respectively . They showed composure and did n't have much problems to defeat one of the worst teams in The Association in front of their own crowd . Six Lakers players scored in double digits in this one and Kyle Kuzma paced the offense with a 23 - point , eight - rebound performance . LeBron James delivered another strong outing , and finished with 22 points , eight assists , and six rebounds . Brandon Ingram contributed with 15 points , and JaVale McGee chipped in with 14 points and eight boards . Michael Beasley added 14 points coming off the bench . The Suns had a balanced performance in this game since they had five players scoring in double digits , but no played topped the 15 - point mark . Richaun Holmes led the way with 15 points off the bench , while Josh Jackson and Trevor Ariza each added 13 points . Rookie DeAndre Ayton had a strong double - double of 10 points with 10 rebounds . Devin Booker , who was questionable , only scored six points in 17 minutes of action .


The Los Angeles Lakers took down the San Antonio Spurs , 121 - 113 , at Staples Center on Wednesday evening . LeBron James scored 42 points to help the Lakers launch a fourth - quarter comeback in Wednesday 's win . The Lakers ( 15 - 9 ) trailed by three heading into the fourth quarter , but scored 43 points in the final period to pull ahead . Much of this scoring outburst was concentrated in the final two minutes of action , as James hit multiple deep three - pointers to help his team start on a run . The Spurs ( 11 - 14 ) , meanwhile , struggled to find their shot at the end of the game , and paid the price with the loss . James added five rebounds and six assists in the win . Kyle Kuzma scored another 22 points for the Lakers , adding nine rebounds and five assists as well . Lonzo Ball finished the night with 14 points and nine assists . As a team , LA shot 48 percent from the field and hit 14 three - pointers . They also racked up 21 total assists . For the Spurs , DeMar DeRozan led the way with 32 points . Fellow veteran Rudy Gay was not far behind , tallying a season - high 31 points in the narrow loss . LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points and added another nine rebounds . It was a poor shooting night for the Spurs , who hit just 26 percent of their three - point attempts . The two teams will rematch in San Antonio on Friday night .


The Los Angeles Lakers escaped with a win over the visiting Miami Heat , 108 - 105 , at Staples Center on Monday evening . It was a hotly anticipated contest , as it likely marked the last time that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade , two friends and future Hall of Famers , would face each other . With Wade expected to retire at the end of the season , the Los Angeles crowd offered him a warm welcome . Unfortunately for Wade and the Heat ( 11 - 15 ) , they were unable to steal the game from LeBron and the Lakers ( 17 - 10 ) , who overcame a halftime deficit to win their sixth game in their last seven outings . Things got off to a mediocre start for the Lakers , as the team missed out on some early transition opportunities , including a missed layup for sophomore guard Lonzo Ball . Still , behind a near triple - double from James , the Lakers earned the win . LeBron scored 28 points to go with nine rebounds and 12 assists . Kyle Kuzma was the team 's leading scorer , complementing James ' strong offensive output with an additional 33 points . Wade earned a double - double in what was likely his last game at Staples Center . He finished with 15 points and 10 assists off the bench . His 6 - of - 19 shooting night , though , was emblematic of his team 's shaky overall offensive night . The Heat hit just 44 percent of its shots from the field in the loss and committed 17 turnovers . The Heat will visit Utah on Wednesday , while the Lakers travel to Houston to clash with the Rockets on Thursday .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans , 112 - 104 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The contest got out to a very competitive start , as both teams went back - and - forth through the first , until they ended the quarter tied at 34 . The Lakers finally created some separation in the second , and emerged with a four - point lead at halftime . Both teams came out strong in the second half , but the Lakers were once again able to come out of the quarter with a slight advantage , as they pushed their lead to six , heading into the final frame . The fourth quarter did not feature much scoring , but was intense nonetheless , as the Pelicans cut the deficit to three at the halfway point in the quarter . However , the Lakers answered by using an 80 over the next two minutes , to push their lead to 11 , with 5:26 to go . The Lakers were able to hold on from there to earn end a two - game slide . LeBron James led the Lakers with 22 points , 14 assists , 12 rebounds and two steals , in 38 minutes . Kyle Kuzma tallied 23 points , three rebounds , one assist and a steal , while Brandon Ingram finished with 18 points , seven rebounds , two assists and a steal . The Lakers shot 47 percent from the field , including 8 - of - 32 from long range . Meanwhile , Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 30 points , 20 rebounds , five assists and one block , in 39 minutes . Jrue Holiday tallied 18 points , 10 assists , six rebounds and three blocks , while Julius Randle added 21 points , eight rebounds , two assists and one block . The Pelicans shot 43 percent from the field , including 8 - of - 27 from deep . The Pelicans ( 15 - 18 ) will look to bounce back as they take on the Kings in Sacramento on Sunday . The Lakers ( 19 - 13 ) play host to the Grizzlies on Sunday .


The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers , 107 - 99 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . The Lakers started out well but the Grizzlies closed the first quarter on a 14 - 2 run , to take a 26 - 20 lead into the second . The Lakers battled back and the teams traded the lead a couple times in the quarter , before the Grizzlies emerged with a 50 - 46 lead at halftime . The Grizzlies stayed in front for most of the third quarter , until the Lakers made a push to take a three - point lead entering the fourth . The battle continued through the fourth until the Grizzlies used a 14 - 8 run in the final few minutes to secure the road win and end a five - game losing streak . Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points , nine rebounds and one assist , in 30 minutes . Mike Conley tallied 17 points , eight assists , two steals and one rebound , while Marc Gasol finished with 17 points , nine rebounds , eight assists and one block , in 31 minutes . The Grizzlies shot 47 percent from the field , including 14 - of - 26 from long range . Meanwhile , LeBron James led the Lakers with 22 points , 14 rebounds , seven assists , a steal and a block , in 35 minutes . Brandon Ingram followed up with 20 points , four rebounds and three assists , while Ivica Zubac tallied 19 points , four rebounds , four blocks and one assist . The Lakers shot 49 percent from the field , including 10 - of - 30 from long range . The Lakers ( 19 - 14 ) will look to bounce back as they take on the Warriors in Golden State on Christmas Day . The Grizzlies ( 17 - 16 ) play host to the Cavaliers on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers , 118 - 107 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The Clippers got out to a strong start as they led 28 - 23 after on quarter . The Lakers turned the tables in the second , as they outscored the Clippers by eight in the quarter , to take a three - point lead by halftime . However , the Clippers came out strong in the second half and regained control through the third , where they outscored the Lakers by five , to take an 82 - 80 lead into the final frame . They kept the pressure on through the fourth and outscored the Lakers by nine in the quarter , to secure their second straight win . This marked the second straight loss for the Lakers as they carry on without LeBron James ( groin ) . Lou Williams led the Clippers with 36 points , seven rebounds and three assists , in 30 minutes off the bench . Danilo Gallinari finished with 19 points , 10 rebounds , three assists , one steal and one block , while Tobias Harris tallied nine points , 10 rebounds , one assist and one steal . The Clippers shot 44 percent from the field , including 6 - of - 19 from long range . Meanwhile , Kyle Kuzma led the Lakers with 24 points , eight rebounds and five assists , in 41 minutes . Lonzo Ball tallied 19 points , six assists , five rebounds and one steal , while Brandon Ingram added 17 points and seven rebounds . The Lakers shot 41 percent from the field , including 11 - of - 30 from long range . The Lakers ( 20 - 16 ) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Kings on Sunday . The Clippers ( 21 - 14 ) play host to the Spurs on Saturday .


The Los Angeles Lakers took down the Sacramento Kings , 121 - 114 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . Sunday was the third straight game in which the Lakers ( 21 - 16 ) were without superstar forward LeBron James , who is recovering from a groin injury . LA had dropped its first two games without James , but strong play from its young stars helped the team earn a win on Sunday . Though the Kings ( 19 - 17 ) led for much of the fourth quarter , strong late - game play from LA 's Brandon Ingram helped to turn the tides . With under four minutes remaining , Ingram personally went on a 70 run , knocking down a three - pointer that gave the Lakers the lead . After a few late misses from Sacramento 's De'Aaron Fox , LA was able to clinch the win on a pair of free - throws from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope . Caldwell-Pope was LA 's leading scorer , providing 26 points off the bench . Ingram added another 21 points in total and also dished out nine assists . Sophomore guard Josh Hart also delivered a gem , scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds . Sacramento , meanwhile , saw another strong all - around night from De'Aaron Fox . Though Fox missed a pair of crucial late - game shots , he still shot 12 - of - 19 on the night and scored 26 points . Fox continued to excel as a facilitator , dishing out three assists . Buddy Hield and Bogdan Bogdanovic each scored another 21 points . Sacramento will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday , while LA will see the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday .


The visiting Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 107 - 100 , at Staples Center on Wednesday evening . Neither team had led by more than six with 5:13 remaining in the fourth quarter . That changed , though , as OKC ( 24 - 13 ) brought Paul George and Steven Adams back in to close out the game . George quickly ended an 0 - of - 10 stretch for the Thunder , knocking down two straight shots and finishing with nine in the fourth quarter . After a late play in which LA 's Tyson Chandler was assessed a Flagrant 1 for striking Terrence Ferguson in the face on a blocked shot , George iced the game by knocking down a pair of free - throws on behalf of the injured Ferguson . LA ( 21 - 17 ) , meanwhile , dealt with an in - game injury of its own , as star forward Kyle Kuzma exited the game with a lower back contusion . For the Thunder , George led the way with 37 points and three steals . Former MVP Russell Westbrook , meanwhile , continued his shooting struggles , going just 3 - of - 20 from the field . That did not stop the star point guard from having an impact , though , as he still notched a triple - double , including a team - high 16 rebounds . LA , meanwhile , took its third loss in four games without LeBron James . James continues to be sidelined after sustaining a groin injury during a game at Golden State in late December . Brandon Ingram took on a lead role in LA 's absence with James on the bench , scoring 17 points and taking a team - high 21 shots . Ingram , however , shot just 8 - of - 21 and committed four turnovers in the loss . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the Lakers with 25 points . On Friday , the Thunder will continue on the road with a visit to Portland . LA , meanwhile , will host the New York Knicks at Staples Center .


The New York Knicks defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 119 - 112 , at Staples Center on Friday night . Both teams took turns dominating the other at different points , but it was the Knicks ( 10 - 29 ) who were productive at the most important juncture to ensure the win . New York outscored the Lakers ( 21 - 18 ) by a 33 - 20 margin in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on a rare road win . Prior to that , they 'd also opened the game with a big 39 - 25 lead over the first 12 minutes . Los Angeles battled back to win the middle periods , 64 - 47 , which left them with a 92 - 86 advantage heading into the final period before the visitors ' late surge . Tim Hardaway , Jr. paced the Knicks with 22 points , adding six rebounds and two assists . Enes Kanter generated a 16 - point , 15 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and three blocks . Trey Burke matched Kanter 's scoring total . Emmanuel Mudiay supplied 15 points , seven rebounds and six assists . Kevin Knox turned in 14 points , five boards , one assist and one steal . Dewayne Dotson registered 11 points , three assists , two rebounds and four steals . Mario Hezonja posted 10 points . Brandon Ingram led the Lakers with 21 points , nine rebounds , three assists and one steal . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope managed 19 points , six boards and three assists . JaVale McGee furnished 18 points , nine boards , one assist and one block . Lonzo Ball filled out the stat sheet with 17 points , six rebounds , two assists , two steals and one block . Ivica Zubac delivered 10 points , six rebounds , two assists and one block . The Knicks remain on the road and take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night , while the Lakers pay a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday afternoon .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons , 113 - 100 , at Staples Center on Wednesday evening . It was LA 's eighth straight game without LeBron James ( groin ) , but the team fared well without its star on Wednesday . The Lakers ( 23 - 19 ) jumped out to a double - digit lead in the second quarter and never looked back . The team went on a quick 90 run near the end of the first half , fueled by five straight points from point guard Lonzo Ball . The Pistons ( 17 - 22 ) , meanwhile , continued to struggle with efficiency , shooting just 44 percent overall and 31 from three - point range . The story of the night was LA 's Kyle Kuzma , who tallied a career - high 41 points in just 29 minutes of play . Kuzma was remarkably efficient , shooting 16 - of - 24 from the field and knocking down five three - pointers . The second - year forward was one of six double - digit scorers for the Lakers . Lonzo Ball , meanwhile , led the team with 11 assists . Detroit , meanwhile , struggled to produce any offense in the blowout loss . All-Star big man Blake Griffin scored just 16 points on 6 - of - 14 shooting , while star center Andre Drummond added only six points . In total , Detroit 's starting five scored only 58 points and accounted for eight of the team 's nine turnovers . The Pistons will visit Sacramento on Thursday , while the Lakers will take on Utah on Friday .


The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 101 - 95 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . As the Lakers ( 23 - 21 ) continued to forge ahead without LeBron James ( groin ) in the lineup , they found an unlikely obstacle in his former team . Cleveland ( 9 - 35 ) owns the league 's worst record and had dropped 12 straight heading into Sunday 's matchup . Sunday 's tilt with the Lakers ended the Cavaliers ' skid , though , as all five starters scored in double figures en route to the win . The Cavaliers held a multiple - possession lead for much of the second half and managed to stave off a late - game comeback effort from LA . For the Lakers , the loss dropped the team to just 3 - 6 without James . Forward Cedi Osman showed flashes of the talent he showcased early in the season , scoring a team - high 20 points to lead the Cavaliers . Big man Tristan Thompson , recently returned from injury , finished with 15 points and 14 rebounds . Nearly matching Thompson 's effort on the boards was Alec Burks , who tallied 13 rebounds to go with 18 points in Sunday 's bounce - back win . LA , meanwhile , saw 29 points from sophomore forward Kyle Kuzma . The Utah product continued to excel in LeBron 's absence , improving upon his season average of 19 points per game . As a team , though , the Lakers were not as impressive . LA shot just 40 percent and hit only seven threes in a loss that put the team in a tie with Utah for eighth in the Western Conference . LA will host another of the Eastern Conference 's struggling teams when the Chicago Bulls come to town on Tuesday . Cleveland , meanwhile , will continue its West Coast trip with a visit to Portland on Wednesday .


The Los Angeles Lakers took down the visiting Chicago Bulls , 107 - 100 , at Staples Center on Tuesday . The Lakers ( 24 - 21 ) continue to press on without LeBron James ( groin ) in the lineup . The team had dropped six of its previous nine games , but on Tuesday , they earned a comfortable win over Chicago ( 10 - 34 ) . Despite recent struggles , sophomore point guard Lonzo Ball led the team with 19 points and also grabbed eight rebounds . Chicago , meanwhile , saw its offensive struggles continue , shooting just 40 percent from the field and 28 percent from three - point range . The Bulls entered Tuesday 's matchup ranked last in the league in scoring at 101 points per game . In addition to Ball 's strong showing , the Lakers enjoyed stellar play from forwards Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma . Ingram scored 16 points and dished seven assists , while Kuzma added an additional 16 points to go with 11 rebounds . Chicago , meanwhile , saw six different players score in double digits . Unfortunately for the Bulls , no player contributed more than 18 points in the loss . Forward Jabari Parker , whose play had seen him benched in recent games , led the way with 18 points in just 16 minutes on the court in the loss . On Thursday , the Bulls will visit Denver while the Lakers will travel to Oklahoma City .


The Golden State Warriors took down the Los Angeles Lakers , 130 - 111 , at Staples Center on Monday evening . The Warriors ' ( 33 - 14 ) win evened the season series after the Lakers ( 25 - 23 ) trounced them on their home court on Christmas Day . Of course , that game saw the Lakers take a significant blow , as superstar LeBron James went down with a groin injury . James has been out of the Lakers ' lineup ever since , and did not suit up for Monday 's tilt . The Warriors , on the other hand , added one more All-Star to their already loaded lineup , as big man DeMarcus Cousins made his second appearance since returning from his Achilles tear . In characteristic fashion , the Warriors blew Monday 's game wide open in the third quarter , where they outscored LA 45 - 25 . Golden State already held a 10 - point halftime advantage , thanks in large part to a white - hot 21 - point first - half from Klay Thompson . The Warriors did not take their foot off the gas , however , as they racked up another 65 second - half points . Thompson in particular remained on fire , knocking down his first 10 three - point attempts in a row . He exited the game with 44 points on 17 - of - 20 shooting . On top of Thompson 's impressive night , the Warriors saw 20 points from Kevin Durant , who shot 8 - of - 13 from the field . Steph Curry , meanwhile , had an off shooting night , going just 3 - of - 12 from the floor . He did , however , tally 12 assists . The Lakers , meanwhile , were without LeBron James , Rajon Rondo , or Lonzo Ball , each of whom was sidelined by an injury . In their absence , the team struggled , with only two starters scoring in double digits . Kyle Kuzma tallied 16 points , while Ivica Zubac led the team with 18 off the bench . On Thursday , the Warriors will visit the Wizards in DC , while the Lakers will host the Minnesota Timberwolves .


The Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 120 - 105 , at Staples Center on Thursday . It was a slow start for the visiting Timberwolves ( 24 - 24 ) on Thursday , as they went into the locker room at half time trailing a Lakers ( 25 - 24 ) team that was without both LeBron James ( groin ) and Lonzo Ball ( ankle ) . However , after taking a narrow league into the final period , Minnesota poured it on the home team over the final 12 minutes , winning the fourth quarter , 36 - 23 , and leaving no doubt . Karl-Anthony Towns led the way for Minnesota with yet another double - double of 27 points and 12 rebounds in 31 minutes , while Andrew Wiggins was close behind with 23 points of his own on top of eight rebounds in 37 minutes . Additionally , with Jeff Teague ( foot ) out of the lineup , Jared Bayless saw 30 minutes at point guard off the bench and put together an impressive performance , as he finished with 16 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes as a reserve . As for the Lakers , the loss was their third in a row as they continue to slid out of the playoff picture without James . All five starters scored in double figures , with Brandon Ingram 's 20 points on 8 - of - 14 shooting leading the way , but the team as a whole could n't buy a shot from behind the arc ( shooting 29 percent ) or take care of the basketball ( 19 turnovers ) . Kyle Kuzma , who was been a reliable offensive option as of late , really struggled to get anything going on that end of the floor , as he shot 0 - of - 4 from three and 4 - of - 12 overall en route to scoring just 10 points in 28 minutes . With this win , Minnesota took a 2 - 1 lead in the season series between these two teams .


The Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Phoenix Suns , 116 - 102 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . The win snapped a three - game losing streak for the Lakers ( 26 - 24 ) while extending Phoenix 's ( 11 - 41 ) to eight games . After what had been a neck - and - neck game on Monday , Los Angeles pulled ahead late in the third quarter and never looked back . Phoenix committed costly turnovers on consecutive possessions to end the third quarter , allowing LA to maintain its momentum and a double - digit lead heading into the fourth quarter . The Lakers were led by a career night from Ivica Zubac , who had 24 points , 16 rebounds , and four blocks . The young center made the most of his extra touches with LeBron James , Kyle Kuzma , and Lonzo Ball all sidelined by injuries . Veteran point guard Rajon Rondo , who recently returned from his own injury , dished out 11 assists . Phoenix also had a large slate of injuries , with T.J. Warren , DeAndre Ayton , and De'Anthony Melton all missing Monday 's tilt . Devin Booker led the team with 21 points , while Kelly Oubre , Jr. added another 17 . On Tuesday , the Suns will visit San Antonio while LA will host the Philadelphia 76ers .


The Philadelphia 76ers blew out the Los Angeles Lakers , 121 - 105 , at Staples Center on Tuesday evening . It was smooth sailing for Philadelphia ( 33 - 18 ) , as the team led wire - to - wire . The Sixers led by 19 by the end of the first quarter , thanks to 11 points in the period from Ben Simmons . While LA ( 26 - 25 ) closed the gap to as little as eight points , the Sixers were able to hold a relatively comfortable lead for the duration of play . Philly did have a scary moment , though , when star big man Joel Embiid took a spill attempting to convert an alley - oop finish in the early fourth quarter . Embiid appeared to aggravate his back and exited for the locker room , though he returned to the bench to see the end of the game . He had 28 points and 11 rebounds before exiting . Simmons finished the game with 19 points , eight rebounds , and six assists for the Sixers , while Jimmy Butler scored another 20 points . The duo also combined for eight steals , contributing to the whopping 15 steals recorded by Philly as a team . The Lakers , again without LeBron James ( groin ) , saw a career - high 36 points from Brandon Ingram . Ingram shot a wildly efficient 16 - of - 20 from the field and dished out five assists . Unfortunately for LA , Ingram was the only Lakers starter to record more than 12 points . JaVale McGee led the second unit with 17 off the bench . The 76ers will continue their road trip with a visit to the Warriors at Oracle Arena on Thursday . The Lakers , meanwhile , are due for a crosstown game against the Clippers on Thursday .


The Los Angeles Lakers came back from a 19 - point deficit to defeat the Houston Rockets , 111 - 106 , at Staples Center on Thursday evening . The Rockets ( 33 - 25 ) seemed like a lock to start the second half of the season off with a win after they took a 19 - point third quarter lead . LeBron James and the Lakers ( 29 - 29 ) , however , rallied to come back and even their record at .500 . The Lakers were able to turn the tide in the final minutes after a few big shots from James . Perhaps equally important , though , was the foul trouble experienced by Houston . Reigning MVP James Harden committed three offensive fouls in the fourth quarter to foul out , while fellow All-Star Chris Paul fouled out in the final minute of action as well . LA capitalized on its opportunities at the free - throw line , shooting 27 - of - 33 . LeBron led Los Angeles with 29 points . He added 11 rebounds to secure the double - double . Forward Brandon Ingram added another 27 points and 13 rebounds , while Kyle Kuzma put up 18 more to help put the team over the top . For the Rockets , Harden led the way with 30 points , preserving his historic streak of 32 straight games with at least 30 points . Chris Paul , meanwhile , flirted with a triple - double , totaling 23 points , 10 rebounds , and nine assists . In his return from a finger injury , big man Clint Capela notched 12 points and 11 rebounds . On Saturday , the Lakers will travel to New Orleans while the Rockets will visit Golden State .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans , 125 - 119 , at Staples Center on Wednesday . The Lakers ( 30 - 31 ) fought hard late in the game to avoid dropping three in a row , including another against New Orleans ( 27 - 36 ) . After the Pelicans cut the deficit to only one point in the final minute , Brandon Ingram put the Lakers back up three by knocking down a contested floater . From there , it was the LeBron James show , as the four - time MVP sealed the win with a turnaround three - pointer to give the Lakers a six - point advantage with just over 30 seconds remaining . The win comes as revenge after the Pelicans trounced the Lakers this past Saturday . James led the Lakers with 33 points and 10 assists . Veteran Rajon Rondo notched another double - double , scoring 11 points while dishing out a team - high 16 assists . Ingram also impressed with his play , scoring 23 points to continue his hot stretch since the All-Star break . New Orleans ' Julius Randle , a former Laker , led all scorers with 35 points . Jrue Holiday finished the night with 19 points and 10 assists , while Elfrid Payton pitched in another 10 rebounds and nine assists . Anthony Davis , still on a minutes restriction following his highly - publicized trade request , had 22 points and eight rebounds in 21 minutes on the floor . Los Angeles will host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday , while the Pelicans will visit Denver on Saturday .


The Milwaukee Bucks defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers , 131 - 120 , at Staples Center on Friday night . The contest got out to a competitive start , with the Bucks taking a one - point lead after on quarter . The Lakers picked it up in the second where they outscored the visitors by seven , to take a 65 - 59 lead into halftime . The Lakers kept up the momentum to start the third , as they built a 12 - point lead by the halfway mark in the quarter . However , the Bucks rallied back to trail by just one , heading into the fourth . The score stayed tight though the fourth , with a couple of lead changes before sitting tied at 118 , with 2:25 to go . Back-to-back threes from Malcolm Brogdon and Eric Bledsoe put the game out of reach , as the Bucks held on to earn clinch a playoff spot with their seventh straight win . Eric Bledsoe led the Bucks with 31 points on 12 - of - 24 shooting , nine rebounds , five assists and one block , in 30 minutes . Malcolm Brogdon followed up with 21 points , four assists and two rebounds , while Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 points , 15 rebounds , six assists and three blocks . The Bucks shot 52 percent from the field , including 14 - of - 40 from long range . Meanwhile , LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points , 10 assists , seven rebounds and one steal , in 38 minutes . Brandon Ingram finished with 31 points , eight rebounds , two assists and a block , while Rajon Rondo added 20 points , nine assists , eight rebounds and two steals . The Lakers shot 48 percent from the field , including 13 - of - 40 from deep . The Lakers ( 30 - 32 ) will look to bounce back as they take on the Suns on Saturday . The Bucks ( 48 - 14 ) will be right back in action , as they take on the Jazz in Utah no Saturday .


The Los Angeles Clippers took down their rival Los Angeles Lakers , 113 - 105 , at Staples Center on Monday evening . The Lakers ( 30 - 34 ) entered Monday 's contest in desperate need of a win . The LeBron James-led team had dropped its previous two contests and was five games out of the playoff picture heading into Monday 's crosstown clash . While the Lakers seemed ready to play initially , putting up 34 points in the first quarter , the team 's energy quickly began to wane . The Clippers ( 37 - 29 ) were able to regain the lead by halftime before building up a comfortable cushion in the second half . LAC started the fourth quarter with a quick 80 run to push the lead to 12 , and over four minutes of scoreless basketball from the Lakers allowed the Clips to maintain their advantage . The outcome lifts the Clippers to seventh in the Western Conference while moving the Lakers to 6 games out from eighth place and the coveted final playoff spot . Early on , the Clippers saw a massive spark from Patrick Beverley . The veteran embraced the mismatch with his coverage of LeBron James and finished the first half with five steals . Danilo Gallinari , meanwhile , helped to fuel the Clippers ' offensive outburst in the second half . He finished with a team - high 23 points on 9 - of - 15 shooting . The Lakers , meanwhile , saw a triple - double from veteran Rajon Rondo . Rondo , who has added a three - point shot recently , knocked down four triples on the night . James also delivered a gem , scoring 27 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists . Next on the agenda for the Lakers is a tilt with the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center on Wednesday . The Clippers , meanwhile , will host the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday .


The Denver Nuggets blew out the Los Angeles Lakers , 115 - 99 , at Staples Center on Wednesday evening . Things got off to a hot start for the Nuggets ( 43 - 21 ) , who built a double - digit lead in the first quarter and led for the entirety of regulation . Denver was able to exploit two of the Lakers ' ( 30 - 35 ) biggest weaknesses , holding LA to seven three - pointers and taking an 18 - 5 advantage on the offensive glass . The Lakers nearly clawed back in the early fourth quarter , when a layup from Alex Caruso was able to trim the deficit to only two points . However , Denver 's Gary Harris scored on four of the next five possessions to help take the Nuggets ' lead back to double figures . Harris shot 8 - of - 11 to finish with 19 points in the win . The Nuggets ' leading scorer was veteran wing Will Barton , who tallied 23 points . Nikola Jokic also delivered a gem , finishing with 12 points , 17 rebounds , and eight assists . The win snapped a three - game losing streak for the Nuggets , who are now just one game out of first place in the Western Conference . LA , meanwhile , was led by 31 points and seven assists from LeBron James . James made history on Wednesday as he passed Michael Jordan for fourth on the all - time scoring list . However , the milestone was overshadowed by another loss for the Lakers , who have now dropped four in a row . LA currently sits 6 games out of the playoff picture with only 17 games remaining before the postseason . The Nuggets will visit Golden State on Friday to make a push for the top spot in the West . Los Angeles , meanwhile , will play host to the Boston Celtics on Saturday .


The Boston Celtics defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers , 120 - 107 , at Staples Center on Saturday . Boston came into this game as a sizable favorite , as they added to Los Angeles ' struggles here . The Celtics did most of their damage in the middle quarters , outscoring the Lakers , 68 - 52 , in the second and third quarters . That allowed Boston to lead by at least five points for the entirety of the second half . Three-point shooting was key , with Boston hitting 14 - of - 38 while holding Los Angeles to 5 - of - 27 . The Celtics ( 41 - 26 ) were led by Kyrie Irving , as he accumulated 30 points , seven rebounds , five assists , two steals and two blocks . Marcus Morris generated 16 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Marcus Smart amassed 16 points , two rebounds , five assists and two steals while Gordon Hayward led the bench with 15 points , two rebounds and two assists . The Lakers ( 30 - 36 ) got a triple - double from LeBron James , as he tallied 30 points , 10 rebounds and 12 assists . Moritz Wagner set career - highs with 22 points , six rebounds and three assists . Rajon Rondo accrued four points , six rebounds and nine assists . Johnathan Williams led the bench with 18 points and 10 boards . Boston returns to action on Monday , when they travel to face the Los Angeles Clippers . As for Los Angeles is a road matchup versus the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday


The Brooklyn Nets defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers , 111 - 106 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The contest got out to a competitive start , with the lead changing hands a few times , before the Lakers managed to take a three - point lead into the second . The Lakers held the lead for most of the quarter , but the Nets rallied back to take a one - point lead by halftime . The Nets came out strong in the third and pushed their lead to nine by the halfway point , but the Lakers tightened it up to make it a five - point game heading into the fourth . The Lakers did not give up and took the lead early in the fourth . The teams traded the lead through the quarter , until the Nets pulled ahead for one last time , as they held the advantage for the final four minutes , to earn their second straight win . With the loss , the Lakers are officially eliminated from playoff contention . Joe Harris was the high - point man for Brooklyn , with 26 points on 8 - of - 15 shooting , in 31 minutes . D'Angelo Russell finished with 21 points , 13 assists , three steals and two rebounds , while Jarrett Allen added 13 points , 11 rebounds and one block . The Nets shot 40 percent from the field , including 16 - of - 42 from deep . Meanwhile , JaVale McGee led the Lakers with 33 points , 20 rebounds , six blocks and one steal , in 34 minutes . LeBron James followed up with 25 points , 14 assists , nine rebounds , one steal and one block , while Kyle Kuzma tallied 18 points , five rebounds and one block . The Lakers ( 31 - 41 ) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Kings on Sunday . The Nets ( 38 - 36 ) take on the Trail Blazers in Portland on Monday .


The Los Angeles Lakers took down the Sacramento Kings , 111 - 106 , at Staples Center on Sunday evening . LeBron James recorded his 81st career triple - double to help the Lakers ( 32 - 41 ) earn a narrow win over Sacramento ( 36 - 37 ) . The Kings jumped out to a quick lead in the second quarter , but the Lakers responded with a 39 - point third quarter after the halftime break . Sacramento was able to make it a close game after Bogdan Bogdanovic knocked down a three - pointer to cut the deficit to just two with under 20 second remaining . However , James knocked down a pair of free - throws to make it a two - possession game , giving the Lakers the cushion they needed to close out the win . James finished with 29 points , 11 rebounds , and 11 assists . Kyle Kuzma delivered another 29 points while knocking down five three - pointers . The win comes on the heels of a 1 - 9 stretch for the Lakers , who currently occupy 11th place in the Western Conference . For the Kings , Marvin Bagley III scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds off the bench . Five of Bagley 's boards came on the offensive end in what proved to be a nice night for the rookie . Bogdanovic contributed another 17 , but the Kings shot a dismal 38 percent from the floor as a team in the loss . Both teams will suit up again on Tuesday , with the Kings visiting Dallas and the Lakers hosting the Washington Wizards .


The Los Angeles Lakers blew out the Washington Wizards , 124 - 106 , at Staples Center on Tuesday evening . The Lakers ( 33 - 41 ) earned a second straight win for the first time since the All-Star Break on Tuesday . The team distanced itself from its recent struggles with a strong offensive night , shooting 54 percent from the floor in the win . LA led from the first quarter onwards , capitalizing on a weak shooting night by the Wizards ( 30 - 45 ) . Washington could not get anything to fall on Tuesday , shooting 43 percent from the field and 6 - of - 32 from beyond the arc . LeBron James scored 23 points for the Lakers while dishing out a team - high 14 assists . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope led the scoring charge for LA , pouring in 29 points in the blowout win . JaVale McGee also continued his career - best tear , scoring 20 points while grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking four shots . For the Wizards , Bradley Beal scored a game - high 32 points . The rest of Washington 's starting five combined for just 27 points , though , as the team struggled to find reliable offense . Off the bench , Jabari Parker contributed 18 points . Both teams will face the second half of a back - to - back on Wednesday , with the Lakers visiting Utah and the Wizards traveling to Phoenix .


The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Charlotte Hornets , 129 - 115 , at Staples Center on Friday evening . The contest got out to a high - scoring start , as the Hornets led for most of the first quarter , and took a 35 - 33 lead into the second . The Lakers kept up the pace in the second , while the visitors slowed down , as the Lakers outscored the Hornets by 12 in the quarter , to take a 10 - point lead into halftime . Both squads came out firing again in the third , as they matched each other for 32 points each in the quarter , with the Lakers taking a 101 - 91 lead into the final frame . The Lakers pushed their lead to 15 mid way through the quarter and easily held on for the home win . The loss marks the end of a four - game winning streak for the Hornets . The Lakers had three players top 20 points , led by LeBron James , who tallied 27 points , nine assists and three rebounds , in 31 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope followed up with 25 points , four rebounds , four assists and a steal , while Kyle Kuzma added 20 points , three rebounds and an assist . Rajon Rondo put on a show , as he dished 17 assists , with only one turnover , and nabbed five steals . Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 24 points , six assists , two rebounds and a steal , in 37 minutes . Dwayne Bacon followed up with 21 points , three rebounds , two assists and a steal , while Miles Bridges added 17 points , five assists , three rebounds and a steal , in 33 minutes . The Hornets ( 35 - 40 ) will look to bounce back as they take on the Warriors in Golden State on Sunday . The Lakers ( 34 - 42 ) take on the Pelicans in New Orleans on Sunday .


The Golden State Warriors blew out the Los Angeles Lakers , 108 - 90 , at Staples Center on Thursday evening . The Warriors ( 54 - 24 ) wasted no time on Thursday , building a 27 - point lead by the end of the first quarter . The team poured in 18 three - pointers on the night to help preserve a comfortable lead throughout . The Lakers ( 35 - 44 ) closed the gap a bit in the fourth quarter , but it was far too little and too late for LA to stage a comeback . DeMarcus Cousins led the way for the Warriors with 21 points and 10 rebounds . Two-time MVP Steph Curry had a rare off night , shooting just 1 - of - 9 for seven points . It did not seem to matter , though , as Golden State still saw five players score in double digits en route to the blowout win . Quinn Cook added 18 points off the bench . The Lakers were led by Jonathan Williams ' 17 points and 13 rebounds off the bench . The team was operating on limited capacity , as LeBron James ( rest ) and most of the Lakers ' young core were not active on Thursday . Rookie big man Mo Wagner was the top - scoring Lakers starter with 13 points . Both teams will suit up again on Friday , with the Lakers facing the Clippers and the Warriors hosting the Cleveland Cavaliers .


The Los Angeles Lakers took down the Utah Jazz , 113 - 109 , at staples Center on Sunday evening . It was the second straight win for the Lakers ( 37 - 44 ) against a playoff team , as LA managed to upset the Jazz ( 49 - 31 ) despite its slough of injuries . Operating without four members of their opening day starting five , the Lakers shot over 51 percent against a typically ironclad Utah defense . LA was tenacious on the glass , grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and outrebounding Utah 49 - 35 overall . Recent G-League callup Jemerrio Jones stood out after earning a start on Sunday . Jones grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out five assists while playing a whopping 38 minutes . Kentavious Caldwell-Pope logged a game - high 42 minutes and scored a team - high 32 points in the win . LA also saw 22 points from veteran center JaVale McGee . Utah was led by 21 points and 10 rebounds from Rudy Gobert . Donovan Mitchell scored another 19 points for the Jazz . The loss comes at an inopportune time for the Jazz , who are fighting for playoff seeding in a crowded Western Conference . With the loss , they now sit two games behind the fourth - place Portland Trail Blazers . Utah will host the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday , while the Lakers will clash with Portland .


The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers , 104 - 101 , at Staples Center on Tuesday . Drama surrounding the Lakers ' organization overshadowed the team 's final game of the season on Tuesday , as Lakers ( 37 - 45 ) president Magic Johnson unexpectedly stepped down from his role this evening . Johnson held a press conference that lingered past the start time of the team 's game to address his decision to move forward . On the court , though , the Lakers put up a tough fight against Portland ( 52 - 29 ) , but the playoff - bound Blazers ultimately got the last laugh . Maurice Harkless came up in the clutch for Portland , scoring the team 's last 10 points , including a game - winning three - pointer with just one second remaining . Harkless led the Trail Blazers with 26 points . He was also active on the defensive end , blocking four shots . Enes Kanter contributed a double - double for Portland in the win , finishing with 22 points and 16 rebounds . With the win , Portland sits at fourth in the Western Conference . However , a win on Wednesday coupled with a loss by Denver could move Portland into third place . The Lakers , meanwhile , saw 32 points from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope . It was the second straight game in which Caldwell-Pope tallied 32 points . Jemerrio Jones grabbed 15 rebounds , and all five Lakers starters scored in double figures in the narrow loss . Portland will visit Sacramento for its final game of the season on Wednesday .


The Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Miami Heat , 104 - 101 , at Amway Center on Wednesday . In the opener for both of these Florida teams , it was n't decided until the final seconds . There were numerous mistakes at the end of this game though , as there were three missed free - throws and two combined turnovers between the two teams in the final 30 seconds . Orlando was able to escape though , despite the fact that Miami ended the game on an 8 - 3 run . It was competitive throughout , as there were seven ties and 13 lead changes in total . The assist - to - turnover ratio was critical for the Magic , as they recorded four more assists than the Heat while committing four fewer turnovers . The Heat ( 0 - 1 ) were led by Goran Dragic , as he tallied 26 points , four rebounds and four assists . Josh Richardson accrued 21 points , five rebounds and three assists . Hassan Whiteside amassed 12 points , 18 boards and two blocks . Dwyane Wade was a nice spark off the bench , providing nine points , 11 rebounds and two assists . The Magic ( 10 ) got a gem out of Aaron Gordon , as he collected 26 points , 16 rebounds and two assists . Evan Fournier finished with 13 points , two rebounds and five assists . Nikola Vucevic accumulated 12 points , eight rebounds and four assists . Mo Bamba led the bench with 13 points , seven boards and two blocks . Miami has to play a dreaded second half of a back - to - back on Thursday , as they travel to play the Washington Wizards . As for Orlando , they host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday for their next outing .


The Charlotte Hornets defeated the host Orlando Magic , 120 - 88 , at Amway Center on Friday . A 22 - 10 first quarter in advantage of Charlotte really set the tone in this game , as they held their lead for the final three quarters while winning each individual quarter . In fact , the Hornets held a double - digit lead for the entirety of the second half . Defense was the difference for Charlotte , holding Orlando to just 38 percent from the field and 19 percent from three - point range . Free-throw shooting was a huge factor as well , with Charlotte connecting on 17 - of - 20 and Orlando hitting just 10 - of - 14 from the charity stripe . The Hornets also dominated from long range , hitting 17 - of - 38 while the Magic connected on just 6 - of - 31 from three - point range . The Hornets ( 1 - 1 ) were led by Kemba Walker , as he tallied 26 points , two rebounds and five assists . Nicolas Batum accumulated 15 points , six rebounds , five assists and two steals . Miles Bridges led the bench with 15 points , eight rebounds and two assists . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist also played well off the bench , providing 12 points , nine rebounds , five assists and two blocks . The Magic ( 1 - 1 ) had no player score more than 14 points , as Nikola Vucevic led their starters with 12 points , eight rebounds , four assists and four blocks . Evan Fournier totaled 12 points and two boards while Aaron Gordon collected five points , 10 rebounds , two assists , two steals and two blocks . Terrence Ross led the team in scoring off the bench , dropping 14 points . Both teams play road games on Saturday for their next outings , with Orlando facing the Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte playing the Miami Heat .


The Portland Trail Blazers defeated the host Orlando Magic , 128 - 114 , at Amway Center on Thursday . This was an impressive performance from Portland , as they pulled out a wire - to - wire win . They did most of their damage in the first and fourth quarters , outscoring Orlando , 70 - 52 . Both offenses were unstoppable , with Portland connecting on 55 percent of their shots while Orlando hit 50 percent from the field . The key for the Trail Blazers was the play of their backcourt , as they got a combined 63 points from their two starting guards while the Magic got just 26 points from their two backcourt players . The Trail Blazers ( 3 - 1 ) got a season - high 41 points out of Damian Lillard , as he also provided seven rebounds and six assists . C.J . McCollum accrued 22 points , two rebounds and two assists . Jusuf Nurkic finished with 18 points , 10 boards and two blocks . Zach Collins was huge off the bench , totaling 17 points , six rebounds , two assists and two steals . The Magic ( 2 - 3 ) were led by Nikola Vucevic , as he tallied 24 points , 11 rebounds , three assists and two steals . Evan Fournier accumulated 17 points , three rebounds and six assists . Aaron Gordon finished with 17 points , four rebounds and two assists . Terrence Ross was a nice spark off the bench , providing 21 points , four rebounds and two assists . Both teams play road games on Saturday for their next outing , with Portland playing the Miami Heat and Orlando traveling to play the Milwaukee Bucks .


The Sacramento Kings defeated the Orlando Magic , 107 - 99 , at Amway Center on Tuesday evening . The Kings ( 4 - 3 ) came into the contest relishing in their newfound reputation as one of the fastest - paced and most offensively proficient teams in the NBA . However , they were also on the second game of a back - to - back swing through the Sunshine State after a big win in Miami on Monday , so it remained to be seen how they 'd respond . The Magic ( 2 - 5 ) appeared to catch the visitors a bit flat early , jumping out to a 31 - 26 first - quarter lead . However , Sacramento turned it on from that point , flashing the impressive offense that 's defined the early portion of their season by outscoring their hosts , 59 - 41 , over the second and third periods . That left them in the driver 's seat heading into the final 12 minutes , which eventually resulted in their second straight road victory . The Kings enjoyed a particularly expansive advantage in the shooting front , as they drained 49 percent of their attempts while limiting the Magic to a 40 percent success rate . Buddy Hield led the way for Sacramento with a 25 - point , 11 - rebound double - double that also included three assists and one block . Nemanja Bjelica supplied 21 points , eight rebounds , one assist , two steals and one block . Willie Cauley-Stein generated a 14 - point , 11 - rebound double - double of his own , while De'Aaron Fox matched the big man 's scoring total and added five assists , two rebounds and two steals . Troy Williams ( 12 points , five rebounds , one assist , two blocks ) and Marvin Bagley III ( 10 points , nine rebounds , two rebounds , one steal , one block ) were very productive off the bench . Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 18 points , and he added 10 rebounds , three assists , two steals and two blocks . Terrence Ross came off the bench to pour in 17 points . Nikola Vucevic contributed 15 points and a game - high 15 rebounds . He also dished out five assists . Jonathon Simmons supplied 12 points , five assists and three rebounds . Jonathan Isaac and Evan Fournier pitched in nine points apiece . The Kings remain on the road and take on the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night , while the Magic remain home and tangle with the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday evening .


The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the host Orlando Magic , 120 - 95 , at Amway Center on Friday . It 's rare to see a home team dominated so thoroughly in the NBA but that was , unfortunately , the case for the Magic here . The Clippers really made their mark in the second quarter , outscoring Orlando , 35 - 22 . The Magic never got the game within an eight - point margin from there , as the Clippers led by at least 13 points for the entirety of the fourth quarter . Three-point shooting was the difference in the game , with Los Angeles connecting on 13 - of - 26 from long range while holding Orlando to just 4 - of - 17 . Rebounding was also huge , with the Clippers outrebounding the Magic , 50 - 40 . Bench production was also critical , with Los Angeles winning that battle , 65 - 35 . The Clippers ( 5 - 4 ) got a vintage performance from Lou Williams off the bench , as he provided 26 points , three rebounds and three assists . Tobias Harris led the starters with 21 points , seven rebounds and two assists . Boban Marjanovic got a rare start and accrued 10 points , 11 rebounds and two assists . Montrezl Harrell also played well off the bench , totaling 10 points , 12 boards and three blocks . The Magic ( 2 - 6 ) were led by Nikola Vucevic , as he tallied 22 points , 11 rebounds , three assists and three blocks . Evan Fournier finished with 19 points , three rebounds , four assists and three steals . D.J . Augustin was the only other Orlando player in double figures , as he collected 13 points , five rebounds and three assists . On deck for Orlando is a road matchup versus the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday . As for Los Angeles , they 're off until Monday when they play host to the Minnesota Timberwolves .


The Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers , 102 - 100 , at Amway Center on Monday . It 's rare to see a game with just seven ties and five lead changes come down to the last shot but that was the case here . Evan Fournier played the hero , as he hit a game - winning jumper at the buzzer to break a tied game . Orlando rode a big fourth quarter to victory , outscoring Cleveland , 32 - 21 , in the final quarter . The Magic won despite being dominated in shooting , as Orlando shot just 45 percent from the field and 32 percent from three - point range while Cleveland hit 51 percent from the field and 44 percent from long range . Transition offense was the only notable advantage for Orlando , as they won the fastbreak scoring , 21 - 11 . The Cavaliers ( 1 - 9 ) were led by George Hill , as he tallied 22 points , four rebounds , six assists and four steals . Tristan Thompson amassed 19 points , 16 rebounds and four assists . Cedi Osman totaled 11 points and 10 boards . J.R. Smith and Jordan Clarkson scored 14 points apiece to lead the bench . The Magic ( 4 - 6 ) were led by Aaron Gordon , as he accrued 23 points , nine rebounds and three assists . Evan Fournier collected 15 points , five assists and three steals to go along with his game - winner . Nikola Vucevic accumulated 14 points , 10 rebounds and two blocks . Terrence Ross led the bench with 15 points and two boards . Both teams return to action on Wednesday , with Orlando welcoming the Detroit Pistons to Amway Center and Cleveland hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder .


The Detroit Pistons defeated the host Orlando Magic , 103 - 96 , at Amway Center on Wednesday . This was truly a battle of four quarters , as each individual quarter was decided by at least five points . Detroit did their damage in the second and fourth quarters , outscoring Orlando , 57 - 36 . The swings are evident by the fact that there were eight ties and nine lead changes in total . Rebounding was the difference for the Pistons , as they outrebounded the Magic , 50 - 40 . The 13 steals recorded by Detroit marked a season - high , as they forced 20 turnovers from the Magic . Free-throw shooting was also critical , as Orlando hit just 7 - of - 8 from the charity stripe while Detroit connected on 18 - of - 20 . The Pistons ( 5 - 5 ) got another monster double - double out of Andre Drummond , as he tallied 23 points , 19 rebounds , two assists and three steals on 10 - of - 16 shooting . Blake Griffin finished with 20 points , five rebounds and three assists . Reggie Jackson totaled 15 points and four assists . Stanley Johnson led the bench with 13 points , six rebounds and three assists . The Magic ( 4 - 7 ) were led by Evan Fournier , as he collected 27 points , four rebounds , three assists and three steals on 12 - of - 19 shooting . D.J . Augustin accumulated 16 points , four rebounds and seven assists . Aaron Gordon amassed 15 points , 10 rebounds and six assists . Terrence Ross led the bench with 15 points and four boards . Both teams return to action on Friday , with Orlando playing host to the struggling Washington Wizards and Detroit traveling to face the Atlanta Hawks .


The Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Washington Wizards , 117 - 108 , at Amway Center on Friday . While Washington led for the majority of the first quarter , Orlando never relinquished the lead from there . In fact , the Magic led by 15 points at the half , as they held a double - digit lead for the majority of this game . Orlando 's offense was on point , as they connected on 51 percent from the field , 42 percent from three - point range and 84 percent from the free - throw line . Rim protection was also key , with the Magic doubling up the Wizards in blocks , 6 - 3 . The Wizards ( 2 - 9 ) were led by Bradley Beal , as he tallied 27 points , four rebounds , six assists and two steals . John Wall accrued 19 points , seven rebounds , 12 assists and two steals . Dwight Howard amassed 12 points and six boards . Kelly Oubre Jr. led the bench with 19 points , four rebounds and two steals . The Magic ( 5 - 7 ) got a double - double out of Nikola Vucevic , as he collected 21 points , 14 rebounds , three assists and two blocks . Aaron Gordon totaled 20 points , seven rebounds and four assists . Evan Fournier finished with 15 points , four rebounds , six assists and two steals . Mo Bamba , Terrence Ross and Jerian Grant all reached double figures in scoring off of the bench . On deck for Washington is a road matchup versus the Miami Heat on Saturday . As for Orlando , they travel to The Big Apple to play the New York Knicks on Sunday .


The Orlando Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers , 111 - 106 , at Amway Center on Wednesday night . The 76ers ( 9 - 7 ) featured Jimmy Butler for the first time since acquiring him from the Minnesota Timberwolves , but that was n't enough to secure the win on the road as the Magic ( 7 - 8 ) used a huge comeback to secure the win following their Monday loss against the Washington Wizards . But in reality , this game shifted leads time and time against . Philadelphia jumped to a 30 - 27 lead in the first quarter , but Orlando came back and finished the first half up by one ( 53 - 52 ) . Philly recovered control of the game with a 35 - 23 third quarter , but the Magic flipped the script in the fourth quarter and with a 35 - 19 lead in the final 12 minutes ( including a 210 scoring run ) and secured a huge win against one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference . Nikola Vucevic led the way for the Magic with an impressive performance of 30 points , eight rebounds , four assists and two blocks . Aaron Gordon had 17 points , six rebounds and six assists , while Wesley Iwundu contributed 11 points and two steals . Two bench players made a big impact , as Jonathon Simmons had 12 points and Terrence Ross added 15 , including a decisive three - pointer with less than 10 seconds on the clock . J.J. Redick was the top scorer for the 76ers with 22 points , but he also added six assists and four rebounds . Joel Embiid had a triple - double since he contributed with 19 points , 13 rebounds and 10 assists . Wilson Chandler had 14 points , and debutant Jimmy Butler chipped in with 14 points in 33 minutes . Ben Simmons only had nine points , six assists and three rebounds .


The Orlando Magic defeated the visiting Los Angeles Lakers , 130 - 117 , at Amway Center on Saturday . While Los Angeles held the lead for the first 15 minutes of this game , Orlando dominated from there . In fact , the Magic outscored the Lakers , 75 - 50 in the second and third quarters . In addition , Orlando held a double - digit lead for the final 20 minutes of this game . The Magic ended up shooting 54 percent from the field while holding the Lakers to 48 percent shooting . Ball movement was also critical , with Orlando out - assisting Los Angeles , 28 - 22 . The Lakers ( 8 - 7 ) were led by LeBron James , as he tallied 22 points , four rebounds and seven assists . Brandon Ingram totaled 17 points , six rebounds and seven assists . Lonzo Ball failed to score but provided five rebounds , four assists and two steals . Lance Stephenson led the bench with 19 points , six rebounds and three assists . The Magic ( 8 - 8 ) got a monster double - double out of Nikola Vucevic , as he accrued 36 points , 13 rebounds and two steals on 15 - of - 23 from the field . D.J . Augustin amassed 22 points and seven assists . Evan Fournier finished with 15 points , five rebounds and four assists . Jonathan Simmons was a huge spark off the bench , providing 12 points , five rebounds and six assists . Both teams return to action on Sunday , with Orlando playing host to the New York Knicks and Los Angeles traveling to Florida the Miami Heat on the road .


The Orlando Magic defeated the New York Knicks , 131 - 117 , at Amway Center on Sunday evening . The Magic ( 9 - 8 ) have shown a penchant for some prolific tallies on the scoreboard this season , and Sunday shaped up as a possible scenario for another big offensive night . That much was confirmed from the opening tip , as Orlando racked up 44 first - quarter points and held a 67 - 66 halftime lead on the Knicks ( 4 - 13 ) . They tightened up their defense in the second half , limiting New York to under 30 points in each of the final two periods while compiling another 64 to secure the victory . As their final point total implies , the home squad enjoyed a sharp shooting night , draining 57 percent of their attempts . The bench played a pivotal role for the Knicks , but it was Tim Hardaway , Jr. who led the way with 32 points . He added two rebounds , two assists and three steals . Trey Burke followed with 31 points in 29 minutes on the second unit . Enes Kanter provided a 21 - point , 19 - rebound double - double while playing 38 minutes off the bench . Emmanuel Mudiay was the only other double - digit scorer with 12 points . Aaron Gordon paced the Magic with 31 points , a total he supplemented with two assists , one rebound and one steal . Nikola Vucevic had a near triple - double with 28 points , 10 rebounds and nine assists . Evan Fournier totaled 19 points , six assists , four rebounds , one steal and one block . Jonathan Isaac delivered 16 points , four boards , three assists , two steals and one block . D.J . Augustin generated 12 points , seven assists and three rebounds . Terrance Ross poured in 10 points off the bench . The Knicks return home to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night , while the Magic remains home and tangles with the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday evening as well .


The Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic , 93 - 91 , at Amway Center on Tuesday . The Raptors ( 14 - 4 ) and the Magic ( 9 - 9 ) played a tight encounter on Tuesday , as this game was decided on a last - second bucket by Danny Green with only 0 seconds remaining after several back - and - forth buckets down the stretch . Toronto jumped ahead in the game with a 29 - 17 lead after the first quarter , but Orlando flipped the script in the subsequent two quarters : 20 - 18 in the second , and 38 - 26 in the third one . As such , the Magic entered the final 12 minutes of action with a two - point lead . But Toronto once again showed their ability to close games down , and ended winning after a 20 - 16 fourth quarter , and Green 's jumper following an assist from Kyle Lowry . It was a thrilling end for a tight encounter that was decided down to the wire . Four Toronto players scored in double digits , and all nine players that saw action scored at least four points . Kawhi Leonard led the way with 18 points and six rebounds , while Pascal Siakam contributed with 15 points and nine boards . Green not only scored the game - winning shot , but he ended with 13 points . Serge Ibaka chipped in with 14 points , nine rebounds and four assists . Evan Fournier was the highest - scorer in the game since he finished with 27 points , four assists , and three rebounds . Aaron Gordon scored 16 points with nine rebounds and three blocks , and Nikola Vucevic posted a strong double - double of 14 points , 17 boards and four assists . No other player scored in double digits , but Jonathan Isaac ( nine points , five boards ) and Mo Bamba ( seven points , five rebounds ) contributed off the bench .


The Denver Nuggets defeated the host Orlando Magic , 124 - 118 , at Amway Center on Wednesday evening . The Nuggets got out to a good start on the road , as they built a 22 - 10 lead early on , however the home team battled back to cut the deficit to just three points by the end of the quarter . The Magic continued their push early in the second , where they tied it up at 33 . The second quarter was tight the whole way , as the Magic outscored the Nuggets , 26 - 25 , in the quarter . The teams played to a standstill through the third , as they poured in 32 points each . The Magic trailed by two to start the fourth , but fought hard , swapping the lead back - and - forth with the Nuggets . The Magic trailed by three with just a few seconds left in regulation , when Terrence Ross hit a clutch three to send the game to overtime . Unfortunately for the home team , the Nuggets took control in overtime , where they outscored the Magic , 12 - 6 , to earn their seventh straight win . Jamal Murray led the Nuggets with 31 points , eight assists , four rebounds and one steal , in 46 minutes . Paul Millsap came up big with 18 points , eight rebound and two assists , while Nikola Jokic tallied 12 points , 13 assists , eight point and one steal . The Nuggets shot 54 percent from the field , including 11 - of - 19 from long range . Meanwhile , Nikola Vucevic led the Magic with 24 points , 15 rebounds and four assists , in 37 minutes . Evan Fournier tallied 26 points , eight rebounds , four assists and one block , while Aaron Gordon tallied 19 points , six rebounds , five assists , one steal and one block . The Magic shot 47 percent from the field , including 20 - of - 49 from long range . The Magic ( 12 - 13 ) will look to bounce back as they play host to the Pacers on Friday . The Nuggets ( 17 - 7 ) take on the Hornets in Charlotte on Friday .


The Indiana Pacers defeated the Orlando Magic , 112 - 90 , at Amway Center on Friday evening . The Pacers ( 15 - 10 ) jumped out to a 57 - 45 halftime lead , and that proved to be enough cushion to for a comfortable win . Indiana prevailed in every quarter and won both the shooting and turnover battles over the Magic ( 11 - 13 ) by healthy margins . They drained a solid 47 percent of their attempts while limiting Orlando to a 40 percent figure , including 24 percent from three - point range . They also took the ball from their hosts on 14 occasions while only committing nine turnovers themselves . The Pacers ' bench saw some extended run due to the sizable second - half advantage and contributed 49 points . Bojan Bogdanovic led the Pacers with 26 points and added three rebounds , two assists and one steal . Cory Joseph followed with a bench - leading 15 points . Thaddeus Young supplied 14 points , seven rebounds , four assists , one steal and one block . Kyle O'Quinn generated a 12 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists , two steals and two blocks over 27 minutes off the bench . Tyreke Evans poured in 11 points , while Myles Turner registered 10 points , six rebounds and one block . Nikola Vucevic paced the Magic with a 22 - point , 10 - rebound double - double that also included two assists . Aaron Gordon posted a 20 - point , 14 - rebound double - double and added four assists , one steal and one block . Terrence Ross mustered 11 points to lead the second unit . Evan Fournier finished with nine points . The Pacers head back home and face the Sacramento Kings on Saturday evening , while the Magic pay a visit to the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night .