Magic’s Franz Wagner slows Lakers with late trey

NBA: Orlando Magic at Los Angeles LakersNovember 21, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) hits a 3-pointer over Los Angeles Lakers forward Cam Reddish (5) with 2.5 seconds left in the game at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Franz Wagner scored 15 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer with 2.5 seconds left, and the visiting Orlando Magic rallied for a 119-118 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.

Orlando’s Jalen Suggs scored 23 points, while Moritz Wagner had 19 and Tristan da Silva added 12. Franz Wagner added 11 assists while shooting 13-for-26 from the floor, including 5-for-9 in the final period.

Goga Bitadze grabbed 15 rebounds as the Magic won for the seventh time in eight games.

Anthony Davis had 39 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, but he missed 3 of 4 free throw attempts in the final 27 seconds and also missed an 18-foot turnaround jumper at the buzzer. Los Angeles was 3-for-9 from the foul line in the fourth quarter.

LeBron James posted 31 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Lakers. Rookie Dalton Knecht added 17 points two nights after scoring a career-high 37 while tying the NBA rookie record with nine 3-pointers. Knecht shot 3-for-7 from deep against the Magic.

Los Angeles had a six-game winning streak and lost for the first time in eight home games this season.

The Lakers took a 105-98 lead with 7:23 left after James made three 3-pointers in a 1:04 stretch that also included a Davis free throw. Davis sank a 3-pointer with 5:02 left to give Los Angeles a 110-105 advantage.

The Magic pulled ahead 113-112 with 2:06 left on a 3-pointer by Franz Wagner before the Lakers took the lead on a James basket, a James rebound at the other end and an outlet pass to Davis for a dunk and a 116 -113 edge with 1:17 left.

Franz Wagner scored eight of the Magic’s final nine points over the final 2:06.

The teams traded leads 10 times in the first two quarters, with the Lakers taking advantage of their biggest advantage of the half as they went into halftime up 67-60. Los Angeles shot 55.6 percent from the floor in the first half and Davis had 19 points.

James opened the second half with a 3-pointer to give Los Angeles its biggest lead of the game at 70-60. Orlando used a 13-3 run in the third quarter to take a 78-77 lead, and the game remained close through the fourth quarter.

The Magic were without Kentavious Caldwell Pope (personal) Paolo Banchero (oblique) and Wendell Carter Jr. (foot).

–Field-level media