With the game tied at 99-99, Orlando’s Nikola Vucevic took an inbound pass with 1.5 seconds remaining and drained a tough, turnaround jumper to give the Magic the two-point win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. He had 18 points on 9-of-16 shooting from the field to go along with five rebounds and two assists.
It was a hotly-contested game throughout that featured 25 lead changes and 15 ties. Shabazz Napier scored 12 of his team-high 22 points in the fourth quarter, all of which came from behind-the-arc. He was 5-of-9 from long-range for the night and shot 50 percent from the floor overall.
With just under two minutes left to play, Elfrid Payton fouled Lou Williams on a three-point attempt and Williams was able to knock down all three free throws to close the gap to 99-97. After Payton missed a jump shot on the ensuing possession, Julius Randle hit a clutch turnaround jumper to tie the game at 99-99. He added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists for the Lakers. Orlando went more than two minutes without scoring until Vucevic’s game-winner.
The Lakers got a balanced attack that included six players scoring in double figures, but once again struggled from three-point territory, converting just 7-of-22 attempts. Kobe Bryant had the night off on the second of their back-to-back games.
