It did not matter that before tip-off, the Orlando Magic announced that D.J. Augustin, Michael Carter-Williams and Evan Fournier would all miss the team’s game against the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers. The Magic entered the game knowing they would be without two of their three point guards and undermanned everywhere else.
None of that mattered. Orlando put itself in a position to win. Late in the game, the Lakers stormed back into the game after trailing by 21 points in the third quarter. They held the lead and it looked like they would collapse against the weight from LeBron James dealing 19 assists.