After losing to Paolo Banchero and the Orlando Magic 118-106 on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers dropped their third straight game. The players felt “tired,” according to head coach JJ Redick, after the game, which ultimately resulted in their defeat. In the first half, the Lakers controlled the game, but in the second and third quarters, when the Magic dominated and led by as much as 17 points, their lead dissolved.
Los Angeles went 10-for-32 from beyond the arc, indicating a poor shooting performance. Conversely, their opponent’s 3-point shooting performance was superior. They had a 15-for-40 deep game. Additionally, the Lakers were unable to match the Magic’s level of enthusiasm. Orlando finished the game with 20 fastbreak points, compared to 12 for Redick’s team.
Because of how they performed, Redick noticed the team’s fatigue.
“I don’t know, we just loooked tired. I don’t know what contributes to that. That happens preiodically throughout the season where the group gets tired. That’s what it feels like right now. We weren’t able to sustain our level of intensity that we started the game with,” Redick said after the loss.
However, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins believes that Redick’s statement is untrue.
“JJ Redick just lied to the American people,” Perkins said. “No championship contender at this point is tired, they are reaching their peak. Tell the people what’s real.”
“No championship contender at this point is tired, they are reaching their peak."@KendrickPerkins responds to Lakers head coach JJ Redick saying his team "looks tired." pic.twitter.com/bfaQNAzn9S
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 26, 2025
According to Perkins, the Los Angeles Lakers’ finest player, Luka Doncic, was not playing well, which was one of the primary causes of their defeat. According to the former champion, Doncic’s poor defensive performance is a result of his lack of conditioning.
The Lakers have a chance to break their losing streak on Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers as they are coming off a one-day rest.
Redick cited the Los Angeles Lakers defense as the reason why they lost against Orlando
The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t contain Banchero in the game as he had 30 points and seven rebounds. While the Lakers had problems containing the 6-foot-10 forward, the team also didn’t have the energy to stop Franz Wagner
Against the Lakers, Wagner finished with 32 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists. He grabbed control of the game in the fourth quarter, scoring 11 points on 45.5% field goal shooting. After the game, Redick claimed that the German star’s impressive performance in the final quarter was due to the team’s poor defense.
“Not letting him get to his right hand would be one,” Redick said. “We have a phrase, redding up or red up, when we switch, and we were very much passive when we switched onto the ball. [Paolo] hit a three on that. When you don’t red up against a guy like Wagner, he’s now got a step into your airspace with thrust and momentum and he’s hard to stop.”
The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped their season series against the Magic with a 0-2 record. In both games, Wagner was unstoppable and scored at least 30 points.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
