Here is what you need to know before the Lakers’ matinee against the Orlando Magic.
1) Defense has the Lakers on a roll
The purple and gold have won nine of their last 11 games by making a huge leap on the defensive side of the ball.
During that span (from Halloween onward), the Lakers rank fourth in the NBA in defensive rating (104.0), while holding their opponents to the league’s worst field goal percentage (43.7) and fewest free throw attempts (17.6).
The defense was especially potent in the Lakers’ last game — a 90-83 victory over Utah on Friday — as they held the Jazz to 38.8 percent shooting, including just 4-of-23 on 3-pointers, while creating 19 turnovers.
2) B.I. and Zo are finding newfound aggression
Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball have both been much more assertive over the Lakers’ last two games, with Luke Walton, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo all encouraging them to stay in attack-first mode.
Ingram had one of his best games of the season in the win over the Jazz, lifting the Lakers’ struggling offense with a game-high 24 points.
Most of his production was all of his own doing, as he constantly slashed to the bucket — a skill that he thrived off of last season.
Ball, meanwhile, put up up nine points and 10 rebounds in his follow-up to a strong game in Cleveland (15 points, seven boards, six assists).
Lonzo also attacked the basket, mainly on fast-breaks, but his most important possessions came in the half-court, when he worked a two-man game with LeBron to ice the victory.
3) Redemption is on the table for the Lakers
The Lakers visited Orlando just eight days ago, when their four-game win streak came to a crashing end.
The Magic beat L.A. by 13, hanging up 130 points on a defense that (as detailed above) has been among the league’s best of late.
This time around, the Lakers will need more emphasis on containing Orlando’s ball handlers — including D.J. Augustin (22 points, seven assists) — who were often able to drive past L.A.’s perimeter defenders.
That penetration also set up open looks for the Magic’s big men, including leading scorer Nikola Vucevic, who dropped 36 points and 13 rebounds.
Injury Report
Lakers: Josh Hart (left ankle tendon strain) is probable. Rajon Rondo (right hand, third metacarpal fracture) is out. Isaac Bonga, Alex Caruso and Johnathan Williams are on G League assignment.
Magic: Timofey Mozgov (sore right knee) is out.
Tip-Off: 12:30 p.m. PT
TV: Spectrum SportsNet
Radio: 710 ESPN and 1330 KWKW
Unis: White Association
Location: STAPLES Center — Los Angeles, California