The Orlando Magic pulled off a stunning upset on Wednesday night, as they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 119-118.
The Magic were led by third-year guard Markelle Fultz, who is having the best year of his career by a long shot. The guard had 21 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists on the night, as the Magic snapped the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak.
For the Lakers, LeBron James had 19 points to go along with a season-high 19 assists, but it was not enough to keep his team’s win streak alive. After the game, James gave a raving review of Fultz.
“Confidence and opportunity,” said LeBron James when asked to explain how Fultz has turned it around. “They’re confident in him, he’s confident in himself. He’s given an opportunity to go out and play the game how he grew up playing. Everything else takes care of itself. I’ve been supportive of him ever since he was in high school, when he was a rookie in Philly. Been supportive of his situation and still [am] to this day. I’m happy as hell for him.”
Fultz is averaging 11.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.3 steals on the season. He’s also shooting a career-best 46.2 percent from the field.
The Lakers were without the services of Anthony Davis for the fourth game in a row. They now embark on a daunting five-game road trip with a start in Houston against the Rockets on Saturday night.
