Lakers Seek Bounce-Back Win After Heartbreaking Loss To Mavericks

Anthony Davis will try to redeem himself after committing several errors in the Lakers’ loss to the Mavericks.
Getty Images/Christian Petersen

KEY POINTS

The Lakers will try to bounce back against the Magic following a sorry loss to the Mavericks
Anthony Davis is expected to play wiser against Magic after his mistakes against the Mavs
The Orlando Magic is expected to give the Los Angeles Lakers a tough fight on Sunday

The Los Angeles Lakers are still smarting from a loss to the Dallas Mavericks but will get the chance to redeem themselves when they host the Orlando Magic at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.

Oddsmakers heavily favor the Lakers to prevail over the Magic. Los Angeles is a -6 favorite, according to USA Today, with the moneyline set at -233 for the Lakers and +193 for the Magic.

In the regular season series of the two NBA teams, the Lakers hold the edge, 1-0. In their previous clash last December, the purple and gold came out on top, 129-110.

But as most know, a lot has changed since the NBA trade deadline, with the Lakers infusing new faces into the mix.

The Lakers are out to redeem themselves from a sorry loss. The Mavericks pulled off a stunning win against Los Angeles Friday thanks to a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Maxi Kleber.

Anthony Davis drew a lot of flak in that game for his miscues. The All-Star big man made the mistake of fouling Kleber in a previous play from beyond the arc, resulting in three free throws.

Davis had the chance to redeem himself on the offensive end but converted only one of two free throws. In the final play, the 30-year-old player failed to cover the German cager, resulting in the game-winning trey, ESPN reported.

“We make our free throws, we’re probably not having this conversation,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said after the loss.

Davis finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers in that loss. Austin Reaves, who missed several free throws as well, chipped in 16 markers and hauled down five caroms.

The Magic is expected to give the Lakers a good fight as well. They are coming off two-straight losses, the last of which was at the hands of the Phoenix Suns, 113-116, Thursday.

Markelle Fultz led the Magic with 25 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, while Cole Anthony added 17 markers on his end.

“We made it a close game, but we had turnovers (19 for 17 Suns points) and I had a few silly fouls. There were multiple plays that added up to us losing the game,” Fultz said after the game, according to ESPN.

The Lakers and the Magic will collide Sunday, with game time set for 9:30 p.m. EDT. The game will be shown via Bally Sports, with live streaming available via NBA League Pass.