LeBron James drives to the rim as the Los Angeles Lakers fall to the Charlotte Hornets. © Ronald Martinez / Getty Images North America / AFP
The Charlotte Hornets pulled off a stunning comeback against the Los Angeles Lakers, securing a rare road win with standout performances from LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Ball finished with 27 points, including five three-pointers, while Bridges led the scoring with 29 points.
The Lakers seemed in control for most of the game. With superstars LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the lineup, they built a 13-point lead, going up 65-52 late in the third quarter. It looked like a routine victory for the home team, but the game took a dramatic turn.
Ball’s sharp shooting and an unexpected twist—Lakers guard Austin Reaves getting ejected—shifted momentum in Charlotte’s favour. The Hornets, trailing by 13, launched a fiery 17-1 scoring run. Seth Curry capped it off with a deep three-pointer, putting Charlotte ahead 69-66 as the third quarter ended.
The Hornets carried that momentum into the final quarter. Two quick three-pointers from Ball extended their lead to 75-66. The Lakers fought back, cutting the gap to just two points. James then drove to the basket for a layup, giving the Lakers a narrow 78-77 lead.
Mark Williams goes for a shot in Charlotte’s win over the Los Angeles Lakers. © Ronald Martinez / Getty Images North America / AFP
However, the Hornets refused to back down. Bridges drained a long-range three-pointer to put Charlotte up 93-90 with under two minutes left. The Lakers briefly regained the lead with a layup from Doncic, but Charlotte struck back. A clutch three-pointer from Nick Smith put the Hornets ahead again, and Ball sealed the victory with four final points. James had a chance to force overtime but missed two last-second three-pointers.
James led the Lakers with 26 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds, while Doncic recorded 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists but struggled with six turnovers.
Lakers coach J.J. Redick admitted his team struggled, especially after Reaves’ ejection. However, he pointed to offensive issues as the main reason for their loss.
“I think we played almost 40 minutes of bad offence,” Redick said. “Some of it was rust from the break, some was poor execution, but our guys played hard. We just weren’t sharp offensively.”
The loss keeps the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 32-21 record.
