Lakers’ Schröder marks crucial victory over Orlando in concise US sports update

The Los Angeles Lakers clinched a hugely important home win in the battle for NBA playoff spots. The team around national basketball player Dennis Schröder won against the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening (local time) 111:105 and thus returned to the top ten in the Western Conference. For the Magic around the Berlin brothers Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner, the tenth place in the Eastern Conference is becoming more and more distant due to the defeat. “Today we did a better job,” Schröder told the German Press Agency. Two days earlier, the Lakers had given up a win against the Dallas Mavericks in the last few seconds. “Today it’s a really great team win,” said Schröder.

The top six teams in each of the Western and Eastern Conferences are guaranteed participation in the playoffs, the teams in seventh to tenth place play in the so-called play-in for two more tickets each for the two conferences.

Schröder had a very good start to the game, hitting his first three threes. After that he wasn’t very lucky and ended up with twelve points. The best thrower of the game was Austin Reaves with 35 points – for the 24-year-old, who is interested in a future in the German national team, it was a career record in the NBA.

Franz Wagner had 21 points, his older brother was not used. “We gave them too many easy threes at the beginning,” said Franz Wagner. “After that we did a good job and worked our way back.” But the Magic didn’t manage more than the interim equaliser.

National team captain Dennis Schröder attaches great importance to a functioning overall package for his family for the next contract in the NBA. “Playing for Darvin Ham was and is an honor for me. Of course, I would always come back here, just because of Darvin, because we have the connection,” he told the German Press Agency, referring to the Los Angeles Lakers coach, who was already on the Atlanta Hawks coaching team at his first stop. “Nevertheless, I want my personal situation, for the family, to be right. Then it doesn’t matter where. But I have no problem playing here.”

Schröder’s one-year contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expires at the end of the season. The main round ends in mid-April. “Of course I want to play until June, that’s the goal for everyone. Hopefully when the playoffs start we’ll be there. Then I’ll focus on the summer, I’ll take a little vacation with the family and then it’s already the World Cup,” said the 29-year-old after the Lakers’ 111:105 against the Orlando Magic on Sunday evening (local time). “My agent is doing his job very well, is already starting to talk to people. I’m not worried about that. The better we play, the better the situation I think. So focus on here first.”

Basically, it is important to him that it fits his family. “That’s how I grew up, that’s how my wife grew up, that’s how we raise our children, that family plays a big role. You can see that in Europe too, with Alba or in Moscow, in Europe it’s more family-related – that doesn’t happen that often in the NBA,” said Schröder. “The way I play, how I want to play, is of course also a factor. My agent will do a good job there. I’m looking forward to it too.”

Two years ago, Schröder was in a situation where a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers expired. At that time he had been traded from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Lakers and could not agree on an extension. The following season he played for the Boston Celtics and the Houston Rockets, making his second stint with the Lakers since the start of the season.