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Wendell Carter Jr.’s clutch putback lifts Magic over Lakers

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By Titan Frey | Last updated Feb 25, 2026 2:04 PM ET

The Los Angeles Lakers looked like the superior team for most of the night on Tuesday against the Orlando Magic. Then, the last 20 seconds happened.

LeBron James threw down an easy dunk off an out‑of‑bounds pass from Luka Doncic to give LA a 109-108 lead. On the next possession, Wendell Carter Jr. grabbed the loose ball after a miss and scored with 6.7 seconds left, putting Orlando back in front.

The Lakers had one last chance and Doncic had a good look for three but passed to LeBron, who forced up a tough three that missed. Orlando walked away with a 110-109 win.

After the loss, LeBron spoke about Doncic’s surprising decision to pass at the last second.

“I thought he had a good look, and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,” LeBron said. “Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed [Orlando’s defense] to get back in front of him. And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look. That’s my POV.”

LeBron finished the game with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists. As for Doncic, he scored 22 points, while recording 15 assists. His shot was off, however, going 8-24 from the field, and 2-10 from three.

Was Doncic’s shooting woes the reason he passed up the potential game-winner?

Paolo Banchero led Orlando with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and six assists. Carter Jr. added 20 points and 11 rebounds.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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