In the lead-up to the Lakers’ Monday home game against the Orlando Magic, two primary questions loomed: Would LeBron James participate in the second night of a back-to-back? And if he did, would his playing time be restricted?

James, despite playing 39 minutes in an overtime loss the previous night, was available and logged 33 minutes, contributing 19 points, four assists, three rebounds, and three steals. The rotation appeared to be more consistent from the first half to the second, with the Lakers receiving significant contributions from Gabe Vincent (nine points on 4-of-7 shooting) and Christian Wood (nine points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots) off the bench.

Despite facing challenges in securing defensive rebounds, the Lakers (2-2) managed to grab them when it mattered most, helping them secure a 106-103 victory over the Magic (2-1) at Crypto.com Arena.

Coach Darvin Ham remarked, “A lot of lessons learned. Tough game. Tough situation. Tough team to face on the second night of a back-to-back, especially after an overtime game the previous night. Sunday’s game was highly contested and highly emotional. But I’m happy we pulled it out. We had a lot of great moments. Different segments from different guys helped carry us across the finish line.”

Despite the Magic’s advantages in second-chance points (20-4) and bench scoring (39-18), the Lakers’ effectiveness in the paint allowed them to stay competitive.

Anthony Davis had a putback to reduce the Lakers’ deficit to 100-98 with less than three minutes remaining. Ham emphasized Davis’s aggressiveness and assertiveness, praising his role as the captain of the Lakers’ defense.

The Lakers maintained their composure from that point on, with D’Angelo Russell making a crucial 3-pointer to give the Lakers a 104-103 lead with 1:43 remaining. Russell also sank a pair of free throws to secure a 3-point advantage with eight seconds left.

Davis and Wood, both of whom played the entire fourth quarter, secured significant rebounds down the stretch, preventing the Magic from scoring second-chance points and sealing the game with a 12-5 run in the final four minutes.

The Magic had maintained a lead throughout the fourth quarter until James made a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:27 left. Jalen Suggs replied with a 3-pointer of his own, but Russell’s decisive basket ultimately put the Lakers ahead.

Despite two late opportunities to tie the score, the Magic fell short, with Franz Wagner missing a 3-point attempt that resulted in a Jalen Suggs offensive rebound. However, Suggs missed a potential game-tying 3-point attempt just before the buzzer, allowing the Lakers to secure the victory.

The Lakers’ next game will be at home against the Clippers, marking the first meeting of the L.A. teams this season, on Wednesday night at Crypto.com Arena.