The Lakers had to pack a whirlwind of emotions together during the final quarter against a hard-skinned Orlando Magic side. But in the end, it was a kick to the gut. Franz Wagner, the spark for the Magic in the absence of Paolo Banchero hit a sensational triple to claim a big win on the road. The Purple and Gold lost their losing streak, and this one loss is stinging JJ Redick.

Despite being in just his first stint as an NBA head coach, the former Magic guard never gave himself the space to relax. The expectation was one – “I want to win championships” was set as the benchmark. With that comes an unreasonable degree of obsession to correct the fine details. Tonight’s game had plenty of them for the Lakers. So instead of taking the night off after a tough loss, Redick is going to his “dark place”.

“I go to a very dark place, literally. It’s the basement. Turn the lights out and I watch film. Yeah, that’s my therapy,” the first-year head coach told reporters after the game.

For a self-described “sicko”, that’s probably the only way to recoup from such a loss. Moreover, his obsession with studying film is well documented. Former NBA star Barn Davis spotted the Duke legend doing his analysis while getting his car washed. However, as far as tonight’s result goes, it will be a brain teaser for Redick.

Even in the fourth quarter, there were moments when it seemed the Lakers had a firm grip. LeBron James and Anthony Davis both had their flexing moments. The Lakers dominated in the paint, forced more turnovers, and even shot the trey better than Orlando. Still, heartbreak came at the very end.

What hurts the most? The Lakers lost because they weren’t clinical in the simplest of forms of scoring.

Free throws become the worst enemies of the Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have a raging inside scoring attack. Hence, it’s justified that they attempt the most free throws in the NBA. It was no different today, and everything seemed fine until the third quarter. The Purple and Gold had only missed three free throws till then. Their unfolding came in the fourth quarter.

Anthony Davis hadn’t missed a free throw all game, but couldn’t convert three in the fourth. LeBron James missed one. The biggest surprise, Austin Reaves, who hasn’t shot below 85% on free throws in any of his prior three seasons missed a pair of free throws. Unable to grab the six points and with Wagner pulling through in the fourth, Orlando always had a chance.

“There’s certain losses that you can point to a lack of, I don’t want to call it lack of effort but lack of wills, competitiveness, and physicality start a game and then you’re not going to fight back. We’ve had a few. The Phoenix game and this game when it comes down to late game where it can swing on a couple of plays, frankly, it swung on our missed free throws tonight,” JJ Redick said about the missed free throws. And they capitalized by staying resilient until the end of the game.

In particular, it was another statement performance from Wagner. The skillful forward went unconscious in the fourth, playing iso ball and scoring 15 points. It included a 36-foot dagger over Cam Reddish that sealed the fate of the Magic. A late-game barrage from distance helped the Magic curtail a growing lead by the Lakers.

Speaking of them, Anthony Davis and LeBron James combined for 70 points, the most the decorated tandem has gone off for this season. Dalton Knecht once again showed good things, establishing a game deeper than just splashy shooting. However, for JJ Redick and Co, this will be a game with hefty takeaways.

The Lakers did most things right and for the majority of the night. However, the faltering in the final eight minutes after having moments of immense high will require great study. Luckily. JJ Redick loves doing that. How do you think the Lakers will respond as they gear up for two tough games against the Nuggets and Phoenix Suns? Let us know your views in the comments below.