Lakers at Magic
The Los Angeles Lakers will finish up what has been a very difficult road trip when they visit the Orlando Magic on Friday. A 115-107 loss in Miami on Thursday left the reeling Lakers with a 1-5 mark on their season-high seven-game trip, and it was their NBA-leading 14th road loss of the season.
Nick Young had 20 points and zero turnovers for Los Angeles, which has held a 19-point lead in the first half of their last two games - both losses. Orlando has dropped seven of its last eight games at home and is coming off a 106-95 road loss to the New York Knicks on Thursday. Serge Ibaka finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in the losing effort for the Magic, who have exchanged wins and losses over the past seven games. While the Lakers lead the NBA in road losses, only two teams - Miami and Philadelphia - have more setbacks at home than Orlando's 10.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE LAKERS (11-21): Thursday marked the team's first game since losing forward Larry Nance Jr. to a knee injury while starting forward Julius Randle was absent due to personal reasons. It didn't help matters when reserve guard Jordan Clarkson followed up his 7-for-9 3-point display in the previous game at Charlotte with four points on 2-of-10 shooting in 25 minutes against the Heat. Lou Williams - who had yet to reach the 20-point mark on the trip after scoring at least 24 in his previous five contests - kept the Lakers in it with 27 off the bench.
ABOUT THE MAGIC (13-18): Ibaka and Evan Fournier (21 points) were the only two Orlando starters to score in double figures in Thursday's loss, while their teammates combined to shoot 36.4 percent and make 1-of-15 3-pointers. Reserve guard Elfrid Payton followed up a string of four straight games in which he committed exactly one turnover with a season-high six against the Knicks. Fournier is averaging 18.3 points in December while shooting 49.1 percent, compared to 17.5 and 42.6 percent in November.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Magic C Bismack Biyombo has 12 blocked shots over the last four games.
2. Williams is 7-for-30 from 3-point range on the trip.
3. The teams cap their two-game season series in Los Angeles on Jan. 8 in the opener of Orlando's season-high six-game road trip.