The Lakers found themselves facing a familiar test on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena against a young, physical and big Magic squad – the type of team that’s given them troubles before. 

And the Lakers were overpowered, leading to their 110-109 loss after Wendell Carter Jr.’s game-winning putback layup with seven seconds left. 

The Lakers had a chance to win, but Luka Doncic passed up a deep 3-point attempt before passing the ball to LeBron James, who missed an errant 3 before the game’s final buzzer.

Doncic finished with 22 points, 15 assists and nine rebounds for a near triple-double, but shot 8 of 24 from the field.

Deandre Ayton had his first 20-point game in nearly a month, finishing with 21 points and 13 rebounds. 

LeBron James added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Austin Reaves had 18 points (6-of-16 shooting) after a slow start.

What it means

The Lakers fell to 34-23 on the season.

They dropped down to the No. 6 spot in the Western Conference standings, with the Timberwolves (36-23) moving ahead of them.

Turning point 

When LeBron James missed a free throw with 45 seconds left.

The Lakers were leading 107-105 with a chance to go up by three, but after James missed, Desmond Bane made a 3-pointer to put the Magic up 108-107 with 35 seconds left.

James dunked to give the Lakers a 109-108 lead before Carter’s game-winner. 

MVP: Paolo Banchero

The fourth-year forward led the Magic with 36 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. 

He went 10 of 11 on free throws, overpowering the Lakers on the interior.

The Magic scored 58 points in the paint and had 15 second-chance points. 

Stat of the game: eight

That’s how many missed free throws the Lakers had against the Magic. 

Doncic was the biggest culprit of the free-throwing shooting woes, going 4 of 9 from the free throw line.

Up next

The Lakers will head on the road for the first time in three weeks now that their extended homestand that started with the Feb. 5 win over the 76ers is over.

The Lakers will play the Suns in Phoenix on Thursday before playing the Warriors in San Franciso on Saturday. 

CLEVELAND — Brick by brick, the Knicks were dismantled by the Cavs.

An atrocious shooting night ended Tuesday with a 109-94 loss for New York, which folded easily to its fellow Finals contender and left Rocket Arena tied for third in the East.

The third quarter was the breaking point. Or better yet, bricking point. It was horrendous.

The Knicks managed just 11 points in those 12 nasty minutes, shooting a combined (shield your eyes, children) 3-for-24 overall, 1-for-12 from beyond the arc and 4-for-8 from the foul line.

So they entered the fourth quarter down 18 and couldn’t recover, not against a stout Cavaliers defense and without the help of competent shooting.

Mike Brown finally waved the white flag with 2:42 remaining, emptying his bench and sending the starters to the walk of shame.

Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Landry Shamet and OG Anunoby combined to miss 42 of their 61 attempts. Bridges was aggressively misfiring at 6-for-17 on the evening.

Brunson was worse at 6 for 19. Karl-Anthony Towns was perfect but only took five shots, furthering the head-scratching trend of alternating strong performances with disappearing acts. Anunoby (five points, 2-for-9 from the field) has struggled since returning from a toe injury.

Brown’s attempt to give an opportunity to Jeremy Sochan was also a miscalculation, with the newcomer appearing utterly lost in his two first-half minutes. Mohamed Diawara got the call in the second half and also tossed up bricks.

It was an all-around dud. The Cavs responded with a balanced but not especially potent attack. They shot just 42.5 percent as a team but it didn’t matter against the Brickerbockers.

The Knicks (37-22) are now even with the Cavs (37-22) and at least 1 ½ games behind the No. 2 Celtics, who played Tuesday night against the Suns.

But the Cavs are surging. They revamped at the trade deadline, acquiring James Harden for the talented but habitually unavailable Darius Garland. They also brought in bench pieces Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis.

It’s all been positive for Cleveland, which has won 13 of 15 after Tuesday’s blowout. Kenny Atkinson just missed out on guiding Harden in Brooklyn before he was unceremoniously dumped by GM Sean Marks and owner Joe Tsai. Now he’s excited for the chance in Cleveland.

“His composure, calmness,” Atkinson said. “He’s just got a command of the game. That settles everybody down. It’s huge. He knows where the ball’s got to go. He knows the end of game stuff. Sharp, sharp player.”

The Knicks understood the difficulties of defending Harden and Donovan Mitchell, perhaps the best offensive backcourt in the NBA.

But defending wasn’t the problem Tuesday for the Knicks. It was the bricklaying.

“You know how tough Harden is,” Bridges said. “His ability to create, not just for himself, but for everybody else at really an elite level. They’ve got a tandem with Donovan, how well he’s been playing and everybody else. Can definitely be tough.”

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and his wife, Ann Michael, are enjoying some R&R in paradise after New England’s 29-13 loss to Seattle in Super Bowl 2026.

As a blizzard engulfed the East Coast this week, the couple escaped to a sunny resort with an ocean view and palm trees, as seen in social media posts from the influencer.

“Alohaaaa,” Ann Michael wrote over a snapshot of the couple, seemingly suggesting they’re in Hawaii.

The Pilates instructor was sporting a purple Hawaiian lei necklace, while the two-time Pro Bowler had a Kukui Nut Lei around his neck.

Ann Michael modeled her stunning green dress by Show Me Your Mumu while on a balcony “with a view,” in another TikTok video.

It’s been a whirlwind year for the couple.

Maye, the Patriots’ third overall pick in 2024, won over New England fans as he helped guide the team to a 14-3 mark in the regular season in coach Mike Vrabel’s first year, just one season after the Patriots went 4-13.

The second-year quarterback, who dealt with a shoulder injury during Super Bowl 2026, and the Patriots were no match for a ferocious Seattle defense in the big game.

Maye was intercepted twice, sacked six times and registered a fumble.

The UNC product, 23, vowed to take the lessons he learned into his future with New England.

Ann Michael also reflected on “this incredible season” in an Instagram post.

“Not how we wanted it to end but still thanking God for this incredible season,” she wrote, including photos from the 2025 season.

“We are blessed to be surrounded by such an amazing group of people, who made this season what it was. This is only the beginning!!”

Ann Michael made a name for herself in New England with her viral holiday baking TikTok videos.

She had a rapid rise on social media during the 2025 regular season, while Maye played lights-out and put himself in the MVP conversation.

Her viral videos landed her a new show, “Beyond Bakemas,” with NBC Sports Boston.

Childhood sweethearts, the couple got married last summer after revealing their engagement in January 2025.

Canadian flags waved and children cheered as Team Canada athletes returned home Monday after capturing 21 medals, including five gold, at the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games.

Supporters gathered at airports in Toronto and Montreal, greeting athletes with signs, pom-poms and applause after Canada secured five gold medals along with a series of hard-fought podium finishes.

“Feels good, feels good to be back on Canadian soil,” curler Brett Gallant said upon arrival from Milan.

Gallant was part of Canada’s return to the top of the podium in men’s curling.

“Well it’s been a few years since Canadian men have been at the top of the podium, so it’s nice to accomplish that,” he said.

The women’s hockey team came home with silver. Forward Natalie Spooner said the support from home was felt throughout the tournament.

5:30
Canada closes out Milano Cortina games with heartbreak and hope

“We felt so much support from Canada, families and fans across the country and it’s amazing,” she told reporters. “Obviously it was heartbreaking we lost. I thought we had a great game, had our chances and it just didn’t go our way.”

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Teammate Sarah Fillier described the championship atmosphere as unforgettable.

“That gold medal game, the building was electric and the coolest environment I’ve ever played in,” she said.

Bobsleigher Keaton Bruggeling, competing in his first Olympics, said the reception back home was overwhelming.

“To have the rallying, feel the pride in the flag, it’s an unbelievable feeling,” he said.

2:03
Money and medals: Canadian Olympic officials push for more athlete funding

In Montreal, speedskater Valérie Maltais returned with three medals and the honour of serving as a flagbearer at the closing ceremony. “I got really emotional,” she said of the homecoming.

Freestyle skier Mikaël Kingsbury, one of the most decorated mogul skiers in the sport’s history, brought home gold in dual moguls and also carried the Canadian flag.

“To win that in mogul skiing, the first gold medal and the first for Canada, and to be a flag bearer, it was huge,” he said.

Back in Toronto, family members waited eagerly for reunions. Marie Spooner said she was proud of her daughter’s effort. “She has worked very hard to get there,” she said.

Fans lining the arrivals area said the Games helped unite the country. “It’s nice, it’s unity, bringing people together from all over the country,” one supporter said.

More athletes are expected to return in the days ahead.

0:59
Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics

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Two of the best teams in the NBA clash on Monday night, and you can use theScore Bet bonus code NPNEWS to get a bet reset up to $1,000.

The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons headline a three-game slate on Monday.

Detroit has been the story of the season so far, embracing the “Bad Boys” identity that once had the franchise on top of the NBA podium.

San Antonio and Victor Wembanyama have also turned heads in the Western Conference, joining the Thunder as an elite team with a bright future ahead of it.

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What our Post expert thinks about Spurs vs. Pistons

The Pistons and Spurs come into Monday night with a combined record of 82-29. Detroit currently sits atop the Eastern Conference, while San Antonio is second in the West, trailing Oklahoma City.

This contest will be seen as a litmus test for both clubs. They’ve been two of the best in the league this season, but the oddsmakers are skeptical that they are built to win in the playoffs.

San Antonio is 12/1 to win the NBA Championship, while Detroit is 14/1.

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Now that the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games have come and gone, Canada ended up finishing lower in the medal count than in previous years.

At the 2022 Beijing Olympics, Canada secured 26 medals, and at the PyeongChang Olympics in 2018, the country won 29, marking these Games as the most successful Canadian performance in terms of overall medals at the Winter Olympics.

Canada also took home 25 medals at the 2014 Sochi Olympics and 26 medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

With Canada waving goodbye to the 2026 Olympic Games with just 21 medals, many Canadians may be wondering what was different this year.

Canadian Olympic Committee chief executive David Shoemaker spoke at a press conference on Sunday, emphasizing the need for increased funding.

“Core funding for national sports organizations has not increased in 20 years,” Shoemaker said. “It needs to.”

“It’s the money these organizations count on to fund operations, athletes, coaches and support staff. They safeguard the pathway from playground to podium.”

Ann Rucklinger, CEO of Own the Podium, a non-profit organization that “assists national sports bodies in Canada with their investment and training strategies,” said to Global News last week that Canada usually starts off the Winter Olympics slowly.

“We didn’t set a real specific medal target. We’re always trying to improve on our previous performance, but we knew that our athlete pool was pretty shallow compared to previous games coming into Milan-Cortina, so that was certainly a concern for us,” she said

However, Rucklinger cites the real “challenge” for the decrease in medals this Olympics to be federal funding.

The Canadian Olympic and Paralympic committees have pressed the federal government on behalf of national sport organizations (NSOs) for an increase in core funding, with the latest ask a $144-million raise in 2025. However, the federal budget had not allocated new money for sport.

Core funding is money all NSOs count on to fund operations, athletes, coaches and support staff, and they say it hasn’t increased since 2005. The four revenue pillars for NSOs are registration fees, corporate sponsorship, hosting events and government funding.

Two Canadian federal budgets have passed without an increase, although athletes did see a $410 raise in their monthly athlete assistance cheques in the 2024 budget.

1:37
Milano-Cortina Olympics: Canada heartbroken after losing gold to U.S. in women’s hockey

Looking ahead to the 2030 French Alps Olympics, Rucklinger believes that NSOs will feel the strain.

“When it comes time to 2030, they’re [national sport organizations] really challenged to be able to invest sufficient financial resources in coaching, daily training, environments, daily competition, opportunities for athletes as they gear up for 2030.”

When it comes to the correlation between funding and athletic results, Rucklinger said it is “very direct.”

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“For the national sport organizations, they have not had an increase in their core support funding for 15 to 20 years,” she said.

“So just layer that up against inflation and so they are having to do more with the same amount of money — and in fact it’s less money because the cost of doing business in the high-performance program is higher.“

Added with other competing nations investing more than Canada, Rucklinger called this “a huge financial gap.”

“What that means for a national sport organization is they have not been able to focus on the development part of their high-performance programs.”

0:59
Reflecting on the 2026 Winter Olympics

Bruce Kidd, a professor emeritus in sport and public policy at the University of Toronto, says that there are many expenses at large that athletes need to think about, among them “living expenses, child care, tuition money for those in university.”

“You want to feel confident that you will be able to put bread on the table and a roof over your head,” he said.

Kidd also said that the competition aspect of training can also be costly and can include travel expenses, paying to train in facilities and equipment.

“In the case of winter sports, it involves the costs of summer training camps,” said Kidd. “Most of these sports are very specialized, so there are only so many places where they can train. That’s a huge area of costs.”

Part of this process is trying to attract top coaches and support staff to Canada.

“[It’s] tough [trying to] attract the quality of coaches and retain some of our top coaches because there’s not significant enough resources for us to be able to do that. Athletes are having to pay more fees in order for them to be able to fully commit to the high-performance program of their national sport organizations. So, all those things add up,” Rucklinger said.

Kidd said if he had to pick one area to invest in for ” high-performance development,” it would be coaching.

“Canada has been lucky as a country that attracts immigrants to be able to attract coaches from other countries, but it is also important for us to develop our own coaches,” said Kidd.

“At a time when sport is underfunded, it’s not a terrific time to encourage young Canadians to become high-performance coaches.”

2:11
Canada defends Olympic gold in women’s speedskating team pursuit

However, despite the financial setbacks, the desire to come out victorious in Milan was still palpable.

“It goes back to that core message, that this feeling of patriotism, pride in country, the aspiration to do great things on the world stage, to sing ‘O Canada,’” Shoemaker said.

Yet he said these Olympics also posed difficult questions.

“These Games brought us together, as they always do. In return, they provided an opportunity to ask ourselves, ‘How do we want to show up on the world stage? What kind of country do we want to represent? Who do we want to be?’” Shoemaker asked.

“In some ways, I think waiting eight days for a gold medal emphasized this point.”