The Los Angeles Lakers started a four-game road trip on Monday against the Orlando Magic badly needing a win to stop their recent skid. They had lost six of their last nine games, and their defense, which had been outstanding ever since late January, has shown signs of slippage.
They gave up 146 points in a 31-point loss to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday, and one may have thought they would re-establish their defensive prowess against an Orlando team that came into Monday last in the NBA in points per game.