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The LA Lakers barely escaped with a win against upstarts Orlando Magic on Monday night at the Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers squeezed out a 106-103 win over the visiting Magic. NBA fans roasted the presumed championship contenders for almost losing against a tanking team like Orlando.
D'Angelo Russell scored 14 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to their second win of the season. Anthony Davis had another big game, with 26 points and 19 rebounds in 38 minutes. Davis played 80 minutes in two days, which might not be sustainable for someone with a long list of injury history.
Meanwhile, six Magic players scored in double figures and star forward Paolo Banchero was not one of them. Banchero struggled with his shot and finished with just nine points. That's also not a good sign for the Lakers, as Orlando might have won the game had Banchero played great.
Fans on social media had no other choice but to troll the LA Lakers for barely getting the win over a team like the Orlando Magic. The Lakers entered the season with a lot of expectations, and many fans thought that they could challenge for a championship.
One fan commented:
"Went to war with a tanking Magic team."
One Lakers fan was very critical of Darvin Ham:
"A whole lots need to be done. It starts with Darvin Ham. Man needs to learn how to win regular season games first. His rotation and reading of the game is below average."
Another Lakers fan called for Max Christie to get an opportunity:
"What does Max Christie have to do to get minutes?"
One fan cannot believe some people think the LA Lakers are a championship team:
"Lakers barely beat the Magic and we're supposed to think they're winning a championship?"
One fan is already stressing out even though it's only October:
"It is still October, and this team is giving me gray hair."
LA Lakers to enter four-game road trip later this week
The LA Lakers went 2-2 in their first four games of the season. They next host crosstown rival LA Clippers on Wednesday night before heading out for a four-game road trip.
It's the Lakers' first road trip of the season, and it's a very important one. The team has a chance to prove that their struggles are not real and that they can really contend for a championship.
After facing the Clippers on Wednesday, they fly to South Florida to face the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. They then battle the Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns before returning home on Nov. 12.
