Postgame Grades: Los Angeles Lakers 101, Orlando Magic 84
The Orlando Magic fell flat on their face and had little positive to take away from a dominant 101-84 loss to the Lakers.
The Orlando Magic imploded in a very winnable game against a Kobe Bryant-less Lakers team. Oddsmakers favored the Lakers by just 3.5 points as of tip off, but the Magic’s horrible interior play and continued lack of perimeter defense led to a team lacking any household names obliterating the hapless Magic.
The quest for answers has to begin before the Portland Trail Blazers next game.
Let’s take a look at the postgame grades for a few vital players. When the team is losing by nearly 20 to a Lakers team without the legendary Kobe Bryant, to a Lakers team headed by a turnover prone mediocre Jeremy Lin — something has to give.
B+. <p><strong><a href=. SG. Orlando Magic. VICTOR OLADIPO
Orlando Magic. NIKOLA VUCEVIC. C-. <p><strong><a href=. C
<p>Andrew Nicholson somehow ended up with the only positive “plus/minus” total for the Magic, but it is absolutely unfathomable how that happened, given the fact that he played like absolute garbage defensively, picking up five fouls in 17 minutes while allowing Black to dominate inside. He made up for some of it on the offensive end though.</p><p><strong><a href=. . Orlando Magic. MAGIC BENCH. D
<p><strong><a href=. PF/C. Los Angeles Lakers. LAKERS . A+