Orlando Magic Grades: Orlando Magic 127, Los Angeles Lakers 105

Debuting their space-themed  City Edition jerseys, the Orlando Magic blew out the Los Angeles Lakers 127-105 behind a barrage of 3-pointers in the third quarter.

Led by the three ball, the Orlando Magic cruised to a 22-point victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic shot an impressive 18-of-32 from three, including a team record 9 of 13 in a 43-point third quarter, to snap a three-game losing streak.

Orlando has dealt with its fair share of losses, but Wednesday night’s game was one of the team’s best performances of the season. The Magic cruised to their 15th win and even sat their starters in the final quarter.

An important contributor to the three-point barrage, Marreese Speights had one of his best nights in a Magic uniform. The perimeter threat hit 50 percent of his threes on his way to a season-high 21 points.

Another top performer was Evan Fournier. His third quarter propelled the Magic to their 15th victory on the season. He shot 60 percent from the field and facilitated well with four assists.

Early on, it was Elfrid Payton who stole the show. The Lakers did not have an answer for the athletic guard as he relentlessly attacked the rim. Elfrid Payton flirted with a triple-double as he ended the night with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Payton also had a solid night on the defensive side of the ball with four steals and a block.

Defensively, Orlando did its job on the perimeter. Los Angeles shot just 20 percent from three. The Lakers found some success in the paint. But as the Magic shot lights out, the Lakers could not keep up.

The Magic were also without Aaron Gordon who missed his second game with a hip-flexor.

The third quarter was all Magic. Evan Fournier was on-fire from three and the rest of the team followed suit. Orlando scored a season-high 43 points in the period. Building a 20-point lead with 12 minutes left to play.

Orlando’s struggles are well-documented. Losing 20 of 23 and Tuesday’s 60-point performance from James Harden put the cherry on top to what has been a tough season for the Magic.

But the Magic beat a Lakers team that is facing similar struggles. With only 19 victories on the year, Los Angeles is definitely a beatable team.

Even when staring the lottery directly in the face, there is no reason Orlando should not be competing against teams like Los Angeles.

Neither team could get out of its own way. Both squads combined for 16 turnovers in the first half.

Despite being on the wrong end of a back-to-back, the Magic showed more energy in the first quarter. Payton dominated the first period with seven points and four rebounds.

Orlando ran the fastbreak with success as they took advantage of poor shot selection from Los Angeles’ young studs Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. Orlando had a rare lead 29-25 after one.

It is safe to say, the Magic played… out of this world.

Next: Orlando Magic competing consistently again

The Orlando Magic are in action next on Saturday as they host the Washington Wizards, who will be without John Wall.