Coming off a dominant 141-116 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers vs Hornets returned home Thursday to face the Charlotte Hornets. Given Charlotte’s 14-26 record, many expected the Lakers to cruise to another victory.
That expectation quickly fell apart, as the night turned into a disappointing and embarrassing performance for Los Angeles Lakers vs Hornets.
Just like they did against Atlanta, the Lakers started strong, jumping out to a 13-point lead in the opening quarter. However, their momentum vanished in the second period, and by early in the third quarter, they found themselves trailing 77-62. Defensive breakdowns plagued L.A., particularly around the basket, and rebounding also became a major issue.
Lakers vs Hornets: Instant NBA Game Recap
The Lakers were unable to correct their problems or mount a meaningful comeback, ultimately suffering a 135-117 loss.
Charlotte shot an impressive 54.3% from the field and knocked down 46.5% of its three-point attempts, while also dominating the boards by a 50-35 margin. Former All-Star LaMelo Ball led the way with 30 points on 10-of-20 shooting, including 9-of-17 from beyond the arc, and added 11 assistsLakers vs Hornets.
Los Angeles will now travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, a sub-.500 team that presents a tougher challenge than its record indicates. The Lakers will then return home for a matchup with the Toronto Raptors on Sunday before beginning an eight-game road trip on Tuesday.
Lakers vs Hornets: NBA Matchup Highlights
Marcus Smart: D
Smart struggled on both ends of the floor. He failed to provide consistent offense and couldn’t slow down Charlotte defensively. He finished with 10 points in 32 minutes, making three of his nine field-goal attempts, including one of five from beyond the arc, while also tallying four rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Jake LaRavia: B+
While his defense left room for improvement, LaRavia delivered offensively. He converted five of 10 shots, went 3-of-4 from three-point range, and made all five free throws to finish with 18 points. He was the Lakers’ third-highest scorer and added three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 37 minutes.
Deandre Ayton: C
Ayton didn’t see the ball often enough, limiting his impact. He finished with 12 points on 6-of-10 shooting in 32 minutes, along with six rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block Lakers vs Hornets.
LeBron James: A
Despite a relatively quiet first half, James once again delivered a star-level performance at age 41. He totaled 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, hit three of six threes, and went 6-of-7 at the line. He also contributed nine rebounds, six assists, two steals, and a block. Nineteen of his points came after halftime as he attempted to rally the team.
Luka Dončić: A-
Dončić exploded for 19 points in the first quarter but went scoreless in the second while taking only one shot. He caught fire again in the third, scoring 15 points, and finished with 39 on 15-of-26 shooting, including 6-of-11 from deep. However, his overall impact was muted by struggles at the free-throw line (3-of-7) and modest contributions elsewhere, with three rebounds and four assists in 36 minutes.
Rui Hachimura: D
In his second game back from a calf injury, Hachimura had little impact. He played 18 minutes off the bench, scoring three points on 1-of-4 shooting while adding one rebound, one assist, and one block Lakers vs Hornets.
Gabe Vincent: F
Vincent had a rough outing, missing all seven of his shots and going 0-for-5 from three in 15 minutes. He failed to score and finished with just one rebound while struggling defensively.
Jarred Vanderbilt: B
Vanderbilt provided solid energy in limited minutes, scoring six points on 3-of-4 shooting and grabbing five rebounds in 15 minutes.
Kobe Bufkin: C
Bufkin entered late in the first quarter and logged 17 total minutes. He contributed three rebounds, one steal, and one block but missed both of his shot attempts and did not score.
Nick Smith Jr., Dalton Knecht, Drew Timme, and Bronny James: Incomplete
Each of these players saw exactly 1:30 of action. None scored or recorded any meaningful statistics.