The end of a long road trip can be a trap game for most teams, and that scenario almost played out when the Los Angeles Lakers took on the Charlotte Hornets.
The Lakers took commanding lead of the Hornets for most of the night as they scored at will, but they slipped in the fourth quarter on both ends to make it a game. Charlotte came close to completing the miraculous comeback but Los Angeles did just enough to escape with a win to finish their road trip 4-2.
Anthony Davis had a down offensive game against the New York Knicks in his return from a two-game absence, but the All-Star looked more like himself against an undersized and inexperienced Charlotte frontcourt. Davis dominated the painted area, earning several putbacks and rebounds while also acting like the central part of the offense with his playmaking.
However, Davis’ biggest play of the game came late in the fourth quarter where he blocked Miles Bridge’s jumpshot that would’ve made it a one-point game. Davis recorded another triple-double, this time with 26 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists to go along with three blocks.
In what could have potentially been his last game with the Lakers during the 2023-24 season, D’Angelo Russell put on a show as he led the team in scoring with 28 points. Russell has been on a heater since being inserted back into the starting lineup and he showed how dangerous can be when he’s in a rhythm.
Russell torched the porous Charlotte defense with cuts and jumpers, but the outside shooting is where he did his most damage. Russell hit five 3-pointers, including a couple of clutch ones in the second half.
LeBron James is setting the bar impossibly high for older players in the final years of their careers as he does not look like he lost a step on the floor this year. James was able to electrify the crowd with multiple dunks, including one where he rumbled down the lane and surprised the defenders in the area.
James matched Davis’s 26 points while adding seven assists, four rebounds, one steal and one block.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers finally return home and will get two days off before an emotional Thursday when the organization will honor Kobe Bryant with his own statue before they play the Denver Nuggets. They don’t get much rest as they suit up the next day on Friday to play the New Orleans Pelicans.
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