ORLANDO, Fla. — The Lakers’ win streak was on the line.
And there was an unlikely hero.
With the Magic up 104-102 with one second left, Marcus Smart was throwing the inbounds pass, looking for LeBron James or Luka Doncic.
But they were heavily contested.
Instead, he tossed the ball to Luke Kennard, who was wide open behind the 3-point line. It was a giant error by the Magic, considering Kennard has the best 3-point percentage in the league at 48.6%.
Kennard swished the shot. He was mobbed by his teammates, who jumped around him in a circle.
The Lakers have now won 12 of their last 13 games, including nine straight. All of a sudden, they’re considered real contenders. The last time the Lakers played the Magic, the game also came down to the wire, but there was a very different narrative around the Lakers.
They were losers.
With the Magic up 110-109 and 6.7 seconds left on Feb. 24, Doncic passed up an open game-winner and instead dished the ball to James, who was surprised, off balance and forced to take a desperation shot that he missed.
Making matters worse, that moment capped a disappointing eight-game homestand in which the Lakers went 4-4. And it was smack in the middle of a three-game losing streak.
At that time, the Lakers seemed lost. Discombobulated. Not together.
Fast forward 3 ½ weeks, things couldn’t be more different.
Kennard was the Lakers’ savior Saturday, and over the last nine games things have coalesced for the team in a way no one expected, with everyone doing their part.
Doncic is playing MVP-caliber basketball. Reaves is playing as though he firmly believes he’s the second option. James is sacrificing. Deandre Ayton is being aggressive. Smart is pouring himself into the defensive end.
Everyone is shining.
And on Saturday, it was Kennard who was lurking in the shadows, waiting for his opportunity to emphatically prove to the world what he can do on this streaking Lakers team.
Boy, did the Lakers need him.
Doncic, who had a game-high 33 points, opened the game with a scorching 10-for-15 shooting before turning stone cold, shooting 2 for 13 in the second half. He even picked up his 16th technical foul late in the third quarter after exchanging words with Goga Bitadze, meaning he’ll be suspended for Monday’s contest against the Pistons unless it gets rescinded.
The Magic defense was collapsing on James and Reaves.
Kennard saw his chance.
After the Lakers traded for him before the Feb. 5 deadline, they were hoping he’d help plug one of their major holes: their woeful shooting from beyond the arc.
Since then, Kennard hasn’t been shooting up to his standards, averaging 8.4 points on 44.3% shooting from beyond the 3-point line.
Now was his chance to prove what he can do.
Everyone else had seized the opportunity to do so during the Lakers’ heater. Doncic was playing MVP-level basketball, averaging 40.9 points and 7.4 assists over the last eight games. James, arguably the greatest player of all time, had accepted being the third option on the team. And Ayton had finally bought into his role, focusing on helping the team win instead of pouting about the fact that he wasn’t a star.
And with the Lakers’ win streak on the line, Kennard stepped up.
He starred in his role when the Lakers needed him most. He was ready. He didn’t hesitate.
The Lakers are proving that they’re championship contenders.
And Kennard just showed that he belongs.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
