The Lakers and Magic played today in a game that had the intensity of a playoff game. Both L.A and Orlando are looking up to Cleveland in different races for home court, and every game down the stretch will be important. Early on, the Magic seemed to have the Lakers number, using various high pick and rolls to frustrate the champs interior defense. There was quite a bit of aggressive fouls throughout the game, as Matt Barnes and Kobe Bryant exchanged words and some hard fouls.
As the 4th quarter began, the Lakers came out on fire, erasing a double digit deficit to get back in the game, thanks to an early 8-0 run to start the quarter. Down the stretch, both teams traded baskets for much of the quarter, but in the biggest exchange of the game, Kobe Bryant missed what would have been a game tying 3, and then Matt Barnes on the next possession drained a huge 3 to extend the lead to 6. Kobe did have a chance late to be the hero, however a missed shot at the buzzer secured the 96-94 win for Orlando.
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