James, Lakers drop another game to Magic

Nikola Vucevic had 31 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and Terrence Ross made a go-ahead lay-up with 34 seconds left to help the Orlando Magic beat the Los Angeles Lakers 108-104 on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Ross scored 16 points as the Magic defeated the Lakers for the second time in eight days. Orlando won 130-117 at home on Nov. 17.

Aaron Gordon had 17 points and D.J. Augustin added 12 points and nine assists for the Magic.

LeBron James had 24 points and seven assists for the Lakers, who had won three straight games and six of their past seven. Kyle Kuzma scored 21 points and Brandon Ingram added 17.

Ross got to the rim to break the 104-104 deadlock after James missed a step-back 3-pointer. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope missed another 3 on the ensuing Lakers possession, and Gordon got a dunk on the runout to cap off their second straight upset win in the series.

The Magic outscored the Lakers 35-19 in the third quarter to take a 86-71 lead. Gordon had 11 points and Vucevic chipped in with 10 points and seven rebounds, but it was Orlando’s defense that allowed them to build the advantage. The Lakers made 5 of 21 shots in the third, with James and Kuzma a combined 0-for-5.

76ERS 127, NETS 125: Jimmy Butler made a 3-pointer with 2.3 seconds remaining to give Philadelphia a victory over Brooklyn. Butler finished with 34 points and 12 rebounds, and Joel Embiid had 32 points and 12 boards for the 76ers. RAPTORS 125, HEAT 115: Kawhi Leonard had 29 points and 10 rebounds, Kyle Lowry added 12 points and 10 assists, and Toronto beat Miami. NAULLS DIES AT 84: Willie Naulls, a four-time All-Star forward with the New York Knicks, a member of three consecutive NBA championship teams with the Boston Celtics and one of pro basketball’s early black stars, has died. He was 84. The cause was respiratory failure resulting from ChurgStrauss syndrome, a rare condition that can restrict blood flow to vital organs and tissues, his wife, Dr. Anne Van de Water Naulls, said. Naulls once held two Knicks scoring records. He set a single-season mark in 1960-61 with 1,846 points, an average of 23.4 a game, and another record when he scored at least 30 points in seven consecutive games.