Orlando works like magic

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Los Angeles Lakers suffered another setback in their National Basketball Association (NBA) playoff push on Monday, falling 118-106 to the Orlando Magic, who notched their first home victory since February.

Despite 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from LeBron James the Lakers dropped their third straight game and at 43-28 are now tied with the Memphis Grizzlies in the battle for fourth place in the Western Conference.

Franz Wagner scored 32 points and Paolo Banchero added 30 for the Magic, who out-scored the Lakers 34-18 in the third quarter to seize control of the contest.

The defeat follows the Lakers’ blowout loss to the Chicago Bulls in James’ first game back after missing seven with a groin injury.

The Bulls knocked off another Western Conference contender, beating the short-handed Nuggets 129-119 in Denver for a third straight victory.

The Lakers had hoped James, Doncic and a newly healthy Rui Hachimura would fuel a strong stretch run. The Oklahoma City Thunder are assured of the top seed in the West but the Nuggets, Lakers and Grizzlies are all within two and a half games of the second-placed Houston Rockets.

Doncic said the Lakers need to recapture the intensity they displayed in an eight-game winning streak that had briefly pushed them to second in the West.