LOS ANGELES — While losses are common in any NBA season, the Lakers’ six-game winning streak ended in a brutal 119-118 loss to the Magic on Thursday night.

The Lakers went Down 2-6 from the free throw line in the final 40 seconds of a game, they lost by just one point.

“Every loss is frustrating,” JJ Redick said after the game. “There are certain losses that you could point to a lack of will, competitiveness and physicality going into a game and then you have to fight that and we’ve had that a few times.

“The Phoenix game and this game, where it comes down to a late game and can swing after a few plays, and honestly, that turned around tonight on our missed free throw.”

Many will blame Anthony Davis for this loss, considering he went 1-4 from the charity stripe and missed the game-winner on the final possession, but it was the series of events leading up to this that pointed to this outcome.

“We were outscored 29-21 (in the third quarter),” LeBron James said. “We had a seven-point lead at halftime and they took the lead in the third, so there’s a lot of play between the games. You can’t just point to one thing.”

Such a dry score might have been fine against the sub-.500 opponents they defeated during this winning streak, such as the Utah Jazz and Toronto Raptors. However, the Magic showed that despite top-level competition, such an execution error could prove costly.

The Magic were dominant on the boards, outscoring LA 48-36. Franz Wagner took center stage, grabbing 11 rebounds and also scoring 37 points, including the game-winning stepback 3-pointer to Cam Reddish.

Orlando is a physical team with players like Wagner and Jalen Suggs roaming the court and in this game they were as good as advertised.

“They are super physical,” Dalton Knecht said after the loss. “They came out and pretty much from the jump they crashed the boards hard and I think in the next game we need to put an emphasis on crushing the boards and making sure we get the ball so that in transition we can get out can come. . Then we play at our best.”

The frustration over a match that could have been a great win but ended in a disappointing defeat was evident. Fans quietly left after loudly cheering for LeBron’s three-pointers and some impressive finishes at AD’s rim a few minutes ago.

The post-game conversations were brief, as Davis and LeBron spoke for a fraction of the time they had during the recent winning streak. Often long-winded Redick was also briefly on his mind after the game.

There’s no shame in losing to a strong team like the Orlando Magic, who currently they are #4 in the Eastern Conference. But it is a reminder that there is still work to be done Los Angeles.

However, the tests aren’t getting any easier for the Lakers. Awaiting them on Saturday are the Denver Nuggets, a team that has served as the kryptonite for the Lakers over the past two seasons.

These are very different versions of the teams that met in the playoffs last year. The Nuggets are currently below the Lakers in the standings and haven’t had Nikola Jokic in the last three games.

But tests come in all shapes and sizes. The Lakers failed one against the Magic, but can pass a big one on Saturday. It does that would make Thursday’s loss just a bump in the road on the long journey of an 82-game NBA season.

It is, as some coaches might say, a marathon.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.