ATLANTA – A late-game collapse against the Orlando Magic could be the turning point in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 2024-25 season.

The Lakers led 118-116 with 18.2 seconds left in their home game against Orlando on November 21st. Anthony Davis stepped to the free throw line and had a chance to potentially ice the game. Instead, he missed both free throws, which led to Franz Wagner hitting the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.1 seconds left. The Lakers missed four free throws in the final 37 seconds after losing a point.

And they haven’t been the same since.

This debacle turned a seven-game winning streak (the Lakers had previously won six straight) into a period in which the Lakers went downhill, losing seven of nine games. They most recently lost 134-132 in overtime to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday, ending a disastrous 1-3 road stretch over four games. Los Angeles is now 10th in the Western Conference at 12-11 after an impressive 10-4 start.

The Lakers’ season appears to be floundering, and they don’t even have Christmas yet. Four of the seven most recent losses were by more than 20 points. The body language of the group was worrying. Coach JJ Redick and the players’ comments before and after the game suggest that the two teams don’t always see eye to eye.

And with several rotation players injured and the Feb. 6 transfer deadline still two months away, the Lakers are grappling with the fact that there is only one way to overcome their ongoing stalemate.

“There is no cavalry,” Davis said. “Nobody feels sorry for us. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. We just have to keep putting our heads down and grinding and working. … No game will be easy for us, so we have to get the win.”

The Lakers have had a ton of problems lately. Since the Magic crisis, Los Angeles ranks 28th in offensive rating, 25th in defensive rating and 28th in net rating. Only the New Orleans Pelicans and Washington Wizards were worse – one team wiped out by injuries to several key players and the other struggling for the 2025 NBA Draft.

Redick met with his group Friday morning to film, discussing their inexcusable efforts and mistakes in Wednesday’s 41-point loss to the Miami Heat. The message, which hasn’t been well received by the group recently, was understood in Atlanta.

Redick replaced D’Angelo Russell, one of the opposing offense’s favorite targets, in the starting lineup with Gabe Vincent to provide a better two-way balance. Vincent responded with his best game of the season, scoring 12 points, providing five assists and pressuring Trae Young all over the court in his 34 minutes.

LeBron James (39 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, two steals and three blocks) officially broke his shooting slump with six three-pointers – more than in his previous seven games combined. Davis (38 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks) scored more points in the first half (22 points) than in the previous two games combined (20).

But arguably James and Davis’ best combined game wasn’t enough to beat the powerful Hawks, who have won six straight games. And that’s primarily due to the Lakers’ lack of depth (partly due to multiple injuries, most notably to Austin Reaves) and bottom-five defense.

The Lakers were far stronger defensively against the Hawks, at least compared to their embarrassing performances against Minnesota and Miami, which Redick sees as a notable improvement. But they still have a long way to go if they want to become a serious threat to the West.

“I told the group that I appreciated their effort, their intention and their energy. And frankly, a lot of their execution,” Redick said. “We did enough to win a basketball game. Similar to Orlando, similar to Oklahoma City, I thought we did enough to win a basketball game. And I am very grateful for that.

“And you can build on that. There are some things you can adjust and plan for and maybe tweak in the late game. You can build on that.”

What the Lakers can’t build on is the game that preceded the loss to the Hawks – the game that hampered them for nearly two weeks.

Redick’s communication style apparently didn’t resonate with the group the same way it did at the start of the season. He admitted as much after the loss in Miami, saying the team didn’t feel hunkered down in that final stretch.

While there are always aspects of a game plan that can’t be said about, and the roster’s deficiencies always come to light, the players are at the forefront of the Lakers’ current problems. The players simply didn’t play with the necessary level of pride and competitiveness. They have folded in several games, including losses to Denver, Phoenix and Miami by more than 20 points in each second half. This included Davis and James, whose respective body language was subpar and who were responsible for not always playing hard.

But this lack of concentration also showed up in close games, including on Friday. Similar to their recent losses to the Magic and Thunder, the Lakers had several late-game fumbles that ultimately cost them the game.

Davis in particular suffered several self-inflicted wounds, similar to those in the Orlando disaster. With 28 seconds left in overtime, he passed the ball to James. James saved the mistake by blocking Dyson Daniels’ dunk attempt. But with another chance on the next possession, Davis was quickly caught and tied up for a jump ball. Even with a numerical advantage, the Lakers couldn’t collect the loose ball.

On their final possession, the Lakers botched a switch between Davis and Vincent – ​​eerily similar to Davis and Cam Reddish botching their switch, allowing Wagner to knock down the game-winning 3-pointer for the Magic – and Trae Young made an open play . winning 3-pointer.

“I don’t know if it was communication or what, but with Trae Young you can’t mess up the (switches),” Redick said. “Left it open.”

From the Lakers’ perspective, there is some context worth noting to their recent struggles. They claim that they traveled most of this route. They played back-to-back games (in Phoenix and San Antonio) before returning home to play Oklahoma City just after Thanksgiving. Then they hit the road again for this four-game trip. Redick and the players essentially described it as a seven-game road trip. It doesn’t help that this also comes with a significant increase in the level of competition.

They were also without Reaves (their third-best player), as well as Jarred Vanderbilt (their best fullback), Jaxson Hayes and Christian Wood (both their backup centers) for four straight games. James called these four players critical absences from the Lakers’ “Top 11” in their potential rotation.

Reaves’ absence was particularly notable. As Los Angeles’ third option, he is averaging 16.7 points and 4.8 assists this season.

“With the lineups not matching up, we’re obviously trying to find ways,” James said. “So it’s a big challenge. We don’t have much room for error. … They’re big, big, big, big pieces.”

While these factors undeniably played a role in the Lakers’ downturn, that doesn’t explain the multiple 20-point misses or critical errors in their narrow losses. Players must improve with their competitive spirit, professional pride and attention to detail. The coaching staff must figure out how best to convey messages and prevent the group from splintering. The front office urgently needs to consider using its multiple mid-level salaries and two first-round picks to improve the roster in the coming weeks.

The Lakers return to Los Angeles for six days on Saturday. They host the Trail Blazers on Sunday night before taking Monday and Tuesday off as recovery days. The group will gather again for practice on Wednesday before flying to Minnesota on Thursday ahead of their Friday game against the Timberwolves.

The break provides an opportunity to rest, reflect and regroup. The Lakers have a good game at home against the 8-14 Trail Blazers, who are 3-9 on the road. Reaves, who is battling his pelvic injury on a daily basis, could be back in Minnesota on Sunday or Friday at the latest. His return will be a welcome addition.

“I don’t know what’s going to get us over the hump,” James said of how the Lakers can stay afloat. “We just don’t have to drown. Don’t drown and nothing will happen to us.”

There is still plenty of time for the Lakers to turn things around, restore their culture from earlier in the season and move up the table. But if they can’t, for whatever reason, losing to the Magic is the reason things take a turn for the worse.

(Photo of LeBron James and Dyson Daniels: Todd Kirkland / Getty Images)