Kennard sinks game-winning three-pointer as Lakers triumph on LeBron’s milestone day
ORLANDO — Luke Kennard secured the game-winning shot while LeBron James made history by playing in his 1,612th regular-season game, as the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to nine with a 105-104 triumph over the Orlando Magic on Saturday.
With L.A. down 104-102, Marcus Smart delivered an inbounds pass from the baseline to Kennard on the left wing, where Kennard sank a go-ahead 3-pointer with just 0.6 seconds left.
“As soon as he caught it and released it, everyone knew it was going in,” Lakers coach JJ Redick remarked.
Orlando’s Jalen Suggs failed to make a 77-foot shot at the buzzer, leading to the Lakers celebrating around Kennard near center court, with James lifting Kennard during the festivities.
“It feels great,” Kennard stated, having been acquired from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline last month. “Joining a new team means building new relationships and figuring out my role and contributions.”
“They brought me here for a purpose, and that was to shoot. It feels rewarding, especially with the way everyone reacted,” he added.
James, who surpassed Robert Parish for the most regular-season games played in NBA history on Saturday, nearly became the hero himself. Smart found him at the basket with another precise inbounds pass with 2.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, but Orlando’s Paolo Banchero blocked James’ layup attempt out of bounds, despite significant contact with James’ right arm. This was one of several moments involving the referees that Redick expressed dissatisfaction with after the game.
“Once again, we had a night where the explanations [from the officials] seemed to change on a whim,” Redick commented. “We had to overcome a lot tonight, and you know exactly what I mean by that.”
After leading by as many as 14 points early, with Luka Doncic contributing 16 of his 33 points in the first quarter, L.A. found itself trailing by five with 50.0 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
Austin Reaves (26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) made a layup; Deandre Ayton (9 points, 12 rebounds) converted a free throw; and Kennard (13 points) hit the 3-pointer to spark a 6-0 run to close out the game.
The Lakers now hold a 22-6 record in clutch-time situations this season.
“It’s just a sense of calmness,” James said when asked about L.A.’s late-game execution. “There’s no pressure. We remain composed in those moments. We know we can secure stops and make plays, and we did just that.”
Indeed, James’ defensive pressure late in the fourth quarter provided L.A. with the chance for a game-winning shot. With Orlando inbounding the ball with 5.2 seconds remaining and leading 104-102, James pressured Banchero on the sideline, causing him to lose the ball out of bounds, a decision that was confirmed after a video review.
“We had a game plan not to guard the inbounds [passer],” James explained. “We aimed to force him to pass to the short corner. Marcus was playing that free safety role. We were looking for the steal before considering a foul. [Banchero] mishandled the ball slightly, and it hit my leg, and you could see his fingertips [touch it]. So, it was a correct call.”
While James’ final statistics — 12 points on 5-for-13 shooting, six rebounds, four assists, and three steals — were not particularly striking, he still broke Parish’s record in style. Less than a minute after the game began, he intercepted a pass from Desmond Bane and raced down the court for a tomahawk dunk that thrilled the Kia Center crowd.
“It was very fitting,” James remarked about the play.
As impressive as James’ dunk was early on, it was the team’s execution in the closing moments — including Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean’s play call, Smart’s pass, and Kennard’s shot — that enabled them to secure the victory.
“Smart had to make a couple of reads and ended up finding me there,” Kennard noted. “It was the right read. Regardless of the outcome, I believe we would have accepted the results because we executed both plays at the end. But it was fortunate that we executed it well.”
