The Los Angeles Lakers’ inconsistent run of form continued with yet another loss on Tuesday night. What made the 110-109 defeat to the Orlando Magic even more tragic was the fact that LA had all but gotten the game in the bag at the clutch. The ball was, after all, in the palms of their most experienced general, LeBron James.
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With just seconds left in the game, Wendell Carter Jr. scored to hand the Magic the lead. The Lakers then called a timeout with 6.7 seconds on the clock, following which, LeBron passed the ball to an in-form Luka Doncic beyond the 3-point line. Doncic, however, refused to shoot, instead choosing to dribble as precious seconds flew by.
By the time the Slovenian star looked up, he was double-teamed by Pablo Banchero and Anthony Black. Doncic passed the ball back to LeBron at this point, who had Jonathan Isaac on his tail. With 2.9 seconds remaining on the clock, the 4-time NBA champion shot a fadeaway 3-pointer and missed.
After the game, when LeBron was asked what really happened on the court, he promptly passed the buck to Doncic.
“Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that. I thought he had a good look. Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed [Banchero and Black] to get back in front of him. I was kind of off balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look,” LeBron said.
Doncic also responded to questions about why he passed the ball to LeBron.
LeBron James on the final possession tonight:
“Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that. I thought he had a good look…I was kind of off balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look.”
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) February 25, 2026
“I mean, I just saw him open, and I didn’t want to lose the ball. We didn’t have timeouts… [But] I shouldn’t have picked up the ball. I should have attacked… That’s on me,” said Doncic, who also admitted that he thought there was more time at hand.
“It was enough time to get a better look, try to drive the ball, so that’s why I picked [up my dribble],” added Doncic.
Q: Did you have any communication with LeBron after the final play?
Doncic: “No.”
Q: When you passed it to him, did you think he had a shot or did you recognize it would be a tough opportunity?
Doncic: “I mean, I just saw him open and I didn’t want to lose the ball. We didn’t… pic.twitter.com/It6GfGJ2m2— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) February 25, 2026
Meanwhile, some fans claimed they noticed LeBron asking for the ball. They have since put it out there that it was precisely why Doncic hesitated to take the shot despite having a better angle at the bucket.
Wow, look at the last possession again!! LeBron is yelling for the ball the entire time. That’s why he hesitated!!
Watch what Luka Doncic says at the end here:
“He told me to pass, I passed”
Was LeBron trying to sabotage the Lakers right there!? pic.twitter.com/VGREp5tMq7
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) February 25, 2026
Let’s be honest here, though. This one mishap is hardly the reason the Lakers lost the plot against the Magic. They were leading by 12 points in the 2nd half, and they simply blew it and then some.
The best the Lakers can do right now is to introspect on this and move on, regrouping for the next game against the Phoenix Suns in a couple of days.
