Reeling Lakers fall to 3-7 in last 10 with loss to Magic - ESPN

ORLANDO, Fla. — After everything came together almost instantly for the Los Angeles Lakers once the Luka Doncic deal was completed and they rocketed up the standings thanks to a surprisingly suffocating defense, that success has left them as quickly as it arrived.

Monday's 118-106 loss to the Orlando Magic dropped Los Angeles to 3-7 in its past 10 games, with the average margin of defeat in those contests well into double digits (15.7 points).

And now, with just 11 games remaining in the regular season and a top-six seed in the Western Conference far from guaranteed, the loss to the Magic delivered a chance for self-reflection for the suddenly reeling group.

«I think we just got a little bit satisfied,» Doncic said. «We can't afford that right now.»

The Lakers are No. 4 in the West and only three games up on the No. 7 LA Clippers, who occupy the first play-in tournament spot.

Before its four-game road trip through Orlando, Indiana, Chicago and Memphis, Los Angeles had supposedly received a wake-up call over the weekend when the Chicago Bulls dominated the Lakers 146-115 on Saturday.

However, Los Angeles' third-quarter performance against the Magic was eerily reminiscent of how the Lakers fell apart on both ends after halftime against the Bulls just a couple of days ago.

Chicago outscored them 39-27 in the third quarter, Orlando outscored them 34-18.

Lakers forward Dorian Finney-Smith said Los Angeles let its offensive struggles in the third dictate its defense. «We let our offense mess with our defensive energy,» he said.

When asked whom it's incumbent upon to stop a trend like that from compounding itself on both ends of the floor, Doncic took responsibility, along with LeBron James, to lead.

«I think me and Bron, think