Halftime Report

Only two more quarters stand between the Lakers and the win they were favored to collect coming into this evening. Sitting on a score of 67-60, they have looked like the better team, but there’s still two more quarters to play.

The Lakers entered the contest having won six straight and they’re just two quarters away from another. Will they make it seven, or will the Magic step up and spoil it? We’ll know soon.

Who’s Playing

Orlando Magic @ Los Angeles Lakers

Current Records: Orlando 9-7, Los Angeles 10-4

How To Watch

• When: Thursday, November 21, 2024 at 10:30 p.m. ET
• Where: Crypto.com Arena — Los Angeles, California
• TV: FanDuel SN – Florida
• Follow: CBS Sports App
• Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
• Ticket Cost: $45.00

What to Know

The Magic are 2-8 against the Lakers since December of 2019 but they’ll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. Having just played yesterday, the Orlando Magic will head out on the road to face off against the Los Angeles Lakers at 10:30 p.m. ET at Crypto.com Arena. Coming off a loss in a game the Magic were expected to win, they now face the more daunting task of proving themselves against unfavorable odds.

The Magic are probably headed into the match with a chip on their shoulder considering the Clippers just ended the team’s six-game winning streak on Wednesday. They fell 104-93 to Los Angeles.

Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, the Magic struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only two offensive rebounds. That’s the fewest offensive rebounds they’ve managed all season.

Meanwhile, the Lakers had already won five in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 9 points) and they went ahead and made it six on Tuesday. They managed a 124-118 victory over Utah. Los Angeles pushed the score to 97-75 by the end of the third, a deficit Utah cut but never quite recovered from.

The Lakers’ win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Dalton Knecht, who went 9 for 12 from beyond the arc en route to 37 points plus five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Anthony Davis, who dropped a double-double on 26 points and 14 rebounds.

Orlando’s defeat dropped their record down to 9-7. As for Los Angeles, their victory was their eighth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 10-4.

Everything went the Magic’s way against the Lakers in their previous matchup back in November of 2023, as the Magic made off with a 120-101 win. The rematch might be a little tougher for the Magic since the team won’t have the home-court advantage this time around. We’ll see if the change in venue makes a difference.

Odds

Los Angeles is a 4.5-point favorite against Orlando, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers had a good feel for the line for this one, as the game opened with the Lakers as a 5.5-point favorite.

The over/under is 217 points.

See NBA picks for every single game, including this one, from SportsLine’s advanced computer model. Get picks now.

Series History

Los Angeles has won 8 out of their last 10 games against Orlando.

• Nov 04, 2023 – Orlando 120 vs. Los Angeles 101
• Oct 30, 2023 – Los Angeles 106 vs. Orlando 103
• Mar 19, 2023 – Los Angeles 111 vs. Orlando 105
• Dec 27, 2022 – Los Angeles 129 vs. Orlando 110
• Jan 21, 2022 – Los Angeles 116 vs. Orlando 105
• Dec 12, 2021 – Los Angeles 106 vs. Orlando 94
• Apr 26, 2021 – Los Angeles 114 vs. Orlando 103
• Mar 28, 2021 – Los Angeles 96 vs. Orlando 93
• Jan 15, 2020 – Orlando 119 vs. Los Angeles 118
• Dec 11, 2019 – Los Angeles 96 vs. Orlando 87