It’s safe to say the Lakers are rolling.
Nine straight wins after a 105-104 road victory over the Magic on Saturday. This one came down to the final seconds, and it ended the way these games often do for L.A. lately. Namely, late execution.
With 2.6 seconds left, Marcus Smart found Luke Kennard on the wing. Wide open. Game on the line. Three. Ballgame.
“I didn’t really know what was going on,’ Kennard told reporters. “I was just screaming. I remember, I don’t know who it was, somebody picked me up.”
That part checked out. His teammates made sure of it.
LeBron James saw it coming.
“When I turned and saw who had the ball, I pretty much knew it was cash,” he said.
Hard to argue. Kennard is shooting 48.6 percent from deep this season.
Luka Doncic led the way overall with 33 points, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. Austin Reaves added 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
But this was about the finish. The Lakers have been here a lot lately, and they look comfortable in it. They are now 46-25 and holding position in the West, with a tiebreaker edge on the Rockets.
More importantly, they are closing games. That tends to travel.
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