Payton leads Magic over Lakers
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Point guard Elfrid Payton scored 25 points and added nine assists in leading the Orlando Magic to a 109-90 victory over the slumping Los Angeles Lakers Friday night at the Amway Center.
The Lakers (11-22) lost their 12th game in the last 13 tries, closing a rocky, seven-game road trip with six losses.
Magic forward Serge Ibaka recorded his second consecutive double-double with 19 points, 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Nikola Vucevic, D.J. Augustin and C.J. Watson each had 11 points.
Guard Jordan Clarkson led the Lakers with 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and five rebounds. D'Angelo Russell scored 15 points, including 12 in the third quarter. Luol Deng had 11 points and 10 rebounds. Thomas Robinson had seven points and a team-high 11 rebounds.
The Magic (14-18) never trailed after a fast start, controlling the game from start to finish. The Lakers cut the deficit to six points early in the fourth quarter on back-to-back baskets by Clarkson, but the Magic quickly pulled away.
The Magic led, 86-69, going into the final period after Payton scored five points in the last minute of the third quarter.
Russell, who had only three points at halftime, scored eight points in the first 2:30 of the third period, quickly cutting a 17-point halftime deficit. Luol Deng hit a long jumper midway in the period and cut the lead to just eight points. But that was as close as the Lakers would come.
The Magic led, 57-40, at intermission, sparked by a great defensive start. They set a franchise record with nine blocks in the first quarter -- four by Ibaka -- and rejected eight of the first 16 shots taken by the Lakers.
They led by as many as 25 points in the second period, riding Payton's 14 points at halftime when he made his first six shots.
The Magic opened a 10-0 lead when the Lakers missed their first 10 shots. The Lakers didn't score their first points until 6:50 remaining in the quarter when Nick Young hit a 3-pointer.
The Magic didn't commit their first turnover until midway in the second period. They also made seven of their 13 3-point attempts in the first two periods.
NOTES: Both teams were coming off road losses Thursday night. ... Magic leading scorer G Evan Fournier (17.8 points) missed his first game of the season Friday with a right heel contusion, sustained Thursday night in New York. He was replaced in the starting lineup by Jodie Meeks, who rejoined the team Friday after missing Thursday's game in New York because of the death of his grandmother. ... Lakers F Julius Randle also missed the game because he returned to Los Angeles Thursday to be at the birth of his son Friday morning. He is expected to rejoin the team for Sunday's nationally-televised contest against the Clippers. He also missed Thursday's loss in Miami. ... The Lakers already were thin in the frontcourt and without reserves Larry Nance Jr. (left knee) and Tarik Black (right ankle). ... Los Angeles came to Orlando to finish a 13-day, seven-game road trip, which has not gone well. "It's all about mental toughness, but I think we're grown from this experience," Lakers coach Luke Walton said before the game. ... Orlando is the only team in the league with a better road record (8-8) than a home record (5-10 coming into Friday).