The Charlotte Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 134-130 on Friday night for their second victory in 11 games. Gordon Hayward made the game-winning layup on a goaltending call against LeBron James with 6 points and 3 seconds left.
James led the Lakers to a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback, scoring 18 of his 34 points as they overcame a 16-point deficit in the second half. In the final 2:30, James scored 11 straight points or provided an assist, and with 30 seconds left, he drove for the go-ahead layup.
Dennis Schröder was fed by James for an open corner 3-point attempt after Hayward seized an offensive rebound and pulled the goaltending call. German security failed to stop P. J. The Hornets’ second victory on their six-game trip was sealed by Washington’s two free throws, matching their season-high scoring output.
Mason Plumlee, who finished with 11 points and eight rebounds, said, “We knew they were going to make a run.”. They have a lot of talented players, but we stepped up. “.
Against his hometown team, LaMelo Ball had 23 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Washington scored 24 points. The Hornets won their first road game against the Lakers in five attempts since January 2018, thanks partly to 23 points from Terry Rozier, who had been out for two games due to a bruised right hip.
James stated, “Obviously, we had our chances tonight. “I won’t use the word ‘disappointing’ because I am not dissatisfied with our effort. I’m not angry with the guys. The game you are currently playing is all you want to win. “.
For Los Angeles Lakers, who lost three straight games with a rapidly deteriorating defense without Anthony Davis, Austin Reaves scored 20 points, and Russell Westbrook added 17 points.
The Lakers earlier on Friday claimed that the eight-time All-Star big man had a stress injury to his right foot, causing him to miss his fourth straight game. Davis has had three seasons of terrible health, but there is no timeline for when he will be able to resume playing at his excellent level.
Reaves remarked, “It’s difficult to lose someone like AD. Our defensive strategy revolves around him. The defensive rating hasn’t been excellent since he left—just too many points. You won’t succeed in winning many games that way. “.
Before leaving the court with 3:16 remaining and holding his right shoulder, Thomas Bryant had scored eight points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers. Bryant has performed admirably in Davis’ absence as Los Angeles’ starting center. Bryant came back to watch the final possessions.
Before the Lakers’ postgame flight to Dallas, coach Darvin Ham was unaware of any developments regarding Bryant.