NBA 2018-19: 3 Key takeaways from Lakers loss at home to Magic

The Los Angeles Lakers were one of the hottest teams in the NBA going into their home match against the Orlando Magic. The Lakers had won nine out of their last 11 matches before this match and were the heavy favorites to win this one.

But after getting off to a rampant start, the Los Angeles Lakers could not maintain their momentum and the match gradually started shifting away from them.

Kyle Kuzma was pretty hot in the first quarter going for 13 points in the quarter alone. Lonzo Ball looked aggressive both on the boards and driving in the lane. Ball had the team high in rebounds for the second consecutive game.

Brandon Ingram was guilty of giving away the ball too much. The Magic had strong performances from Vucevic, Gordon and Ross. Ross was impressive in their second-quarter comeback, hitting shots from beyond the arc. Here are the top three takeaways from the match.

#3 Lakers' turnovers struggle

Los Angeles Lakers have been guilty of losing the ball over too many times

After finishing with 23 turnovers in the Friday night match against the Utah Jazz, the Lakers looked set to even eclipse that in this match. In the end, they finished with overall 18 turnovers, 14 of them in the first half whereas the Magic finished with only 13 turnovers in the match.

Till the second quarter, the Lakers were shooting 62% from the field and the Magic were shooting only 41% but because of these reckless turnovers, the match was almost tied.

The Lakers never managed to get any advantage and the Magic stuck to them, even taking the lead for sometime late in the second quarter. Brandon Ingram and LeBron James finished with 5 and 6 turnovers respectively.

The Lakers need to start valuing their possessions. They are without their point guard Rajon Rondo but the other playmakers need to step up.

#2 Dominant display from Nikola Vucevic

After torching the Lakers for 36 points and 13 rebounds in their previous encounter, Vucevic was at his game again. He finished with the game high 31 points to go along with 15 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 blocks and 2 steals. Vucevic finished with an average of 33.5 points, 14 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the sweep of the Lakers within a span of 8 days.

Vucevic was dominant in the post and also from outside, finishing with 3 made three-pointers. He was a nightmare to match up with for the Lakers. Vucevic is averaging 20+points and 11+ rebounds and has become the player that the Orlando Magic can rely upon on a consistent basis.

The match was tied at 104-104 after LeBron James hit the game-tying free throws with more than two minutes still left to play. The Lakers failed to score after that and the Magic got ahead courtesy of buckets from Terrence Ross and Gordon.

#1 Lakers' free throw struggles

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled from the Free Throw line

The Lakers are a bottom five side when it comes to free throw shooting. Their struggle from the charity stripe has become well known throughout the season.

In this match against the Orlando Magic, the Lakers again struggled from the free throw line. They shot a pretty poor 64% from the line compared to 93% shooting from the line for the Orlando Magic. LeBron James himself missed five free throws.

In a tight game, these are the basic things that cost a match. The Lakers have none of their starters shooting even more than 75% from the line. LeBron James is averaging 74% from the line. Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball shoot only 67% and 57% respectively from the line.

The Lakers need to improve their free throw shooting. Despite shooting better from the field and from beyond the arc, the Lakers managed to lose this game. It's high time they make free throw shooting as one of their top priorities.

The Lakers next play at the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday while the Magic play at the Warriors on Monday.