Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena was a spectacle both on and off the court. The Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the Orlando Magic, and the stars were out in full force.
Among them was pop sensation Justin Bieber, who turned heads in a green polka-dot hoodie, black leather pants, and blue sunglasses. Bieber's courtside presence added a viral moment to the evening, especially with his pregame embrace with LeBron James, a meeting of two icons that had everyone talking.
On the hardwood, the Lakers suffered a nail-biting 110-109 defeat. The game came down to the wire, with LeBron missing a potential game-winning shot.
The loss was a tough pill to swallow, especially after leading by 12 in the third quarter. Orlando capitalized on their 13 offensive rebounds and Paolo Banchero's impressive 36-point performance to stage a comeback.
In the final moments, with 6.7 seconds on the clock and the Lakers down by one, Luka Doncic found himself under pressure beyond the arc. Instead of taking the shot, he passed to James, who was off-balance and contested by Jonathan Isaac.
The fadeaway three missed its mark. Doncic later took responsibility, admitting, “I just saw him open and I didn’t want to lose the ball… I should have attacked… That’s on me.”
LeBron added his perspective: “We executed. Like I said, I’m not sure.
Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that. But I thought he had a good look and it looked like he kinda just lost his balance, you know.
Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And I was kind of off-balance when he gave it to me.
I thought he had a great look.”
The defeat dropped the Lakers to a 34-23 record, with a 16-12 mark at home, placing them sixth in the Western Conference. Deandre Ayton contributed with a solid 21 points and 13 rebounds, but the homestand ended at an even 4-4. With 25 games left in the season, the Lakers find themselves with little room for error.
As for Bieber, he added a playful twist to the night by attempting to sneak a basketball out of the arena under his hoodie, only to be stopped by security-a moment that quickly made the rounds online. His next big appearance is slated for the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in April, where he’s set to headline.
The Lakers now face the challenge of tightening their game as the playoff race heats up, with every game carrying significant weight in the standings.