luke kennard buried a game-winning three to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-104 road victory over the Orlando Magic, pushing L. A. to its ninth straight win on Saturday night in Orlando. The shot came after a late defensive stop and a drawn-up play that delivered Kennard an open look with four seconds left. The win keeps the Lakers rolling as they close a road trip and turn toward two upcoming matchups tipoffing at 7: 00 p. m. ET.
Luke Kennard’s late heroics and final sequence
The Lakers trailed late before getting a crucial stop, a missed three by a teammate, and Deandre Ayton collecting an offensive rebound and being fouled. Ayton intentionally missed the second free throw; the Magic secured the rebound but then committed a turnover, handing L. A. one final chance down two with four seconds remaining. JJ Redick drew up a play that freed luke kennard for an open three, and he nailed it to give the Lakers the 105-104 victory in Orlando.
The game featured momentum swings throughout: Los Angeles opened strong but then went ice cold during a 22-2 Orlando run. Kennard contributed earlier by ending the drought with five straight points before the stretch, helping the Lakers regain composure as the teams traded leads late in the fourth quarter.
Expanding details: milestones, swings and discipline
LeBron James took the court in an NBA regular season game for the 1, 612th time, breaking a tie with Robert Parish for the most in history, and he celebrated the milestone with a breakout dunk that helped put L. A. up early. Luka Doncic opened the scoring burst late, piling up 16 first-quarter points and finishing the first half with 24 points, but he went cold after his hot start.
Tensions flared late in the third when Doncic and Goga Bitadze exchanged words and were assessed double technicals; that marked Doncic’s 16th technical of the season and carries an automatic one-game suspension. The Lakers also struggled on the glass at times, trailing 87-82 entering the fourth before staging a comeback that set the stage for Kennard’s decisive shot.
Immediate reactions and next steps
Coaching and execution in the final possession produced the open look for luke kennard, and the play capped a night of stops, offensive rebounds, and late-game composure. With the road trip set to finish on Monday and Wednesday, both opponents will tip off at 7: 00 p. m. ET, offering the Lakers little rest and another chance to extend momentum.
What comes next will test L. A. ‘s resilience: handling the suspension that follows the technical accumulation, tightening rebounding, and sustaining late-game execution. For now, a 105-104 final and luke kennard’s buzzer-beater deliver a ninth straight victory and a dramatic chapter to the road swing, with the team and fans already pivoting toward the back-to-back opportunities that await at 7: 00 p. m. ET this week.
