Hornets beat Lakers despite 6th straight 30-point game from LeBron James

On Friday, December 23, P.J. Washington scored 24 points, LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier each added 23 points, and the visiting Charlotte Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 134-130 despite shooting a season-high 55.3% from the field (Saturday, December 24, Manila time).

Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 19 points for the Hornets, who won for only the second time in their previous 11 games, and for the second time in the first four games of their current six-game road trip.

LeBron James scored 34 points and Austin Reaves added 20 as the Lakers lost their third consecutive game and dropped to 1-3 since the right foot injury to star big Anthony Davis. The club confirmed Davis’s prolonged absence on Friday.

James has scored 30 or more points in six consecutive games.

The Hornets led by as much as 10 points in the opening half, but the score was level at 67-67 at halftime. In a first period devoid of effective defense, the Hornets shot 56.5% and the Lakers shot 51.1% from the field.

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The Hornets opened the second half on a 21-5 surge, extending their lead to 88-72 with a score of 88-72. The Los Angeles Lakers responded with an 11-0 run before the Hornets finished the third quarter leading 97-87.

Ball’s three-pointer with 1:34 remaining gave the Hornets a 129-123 lead. With 42 seconds remaining, a 7-1 rally by the Lakers, capped by a James layup, knotted the game at 130-130.

With 32.1 seconds remaining, the Lakers got a steal and a fastbreak opportunity to take the lead, but they turned the ball over.

After a goaltending call gave Charlotte’s Gordon Hayward a basket with 6.1 seconds remaining, the Lakers had an opportunity to grab the lead when Dennis Schroder missed a three-point try with 1.1 seconds remaining.

Hayward scored 15 points for the Hornets, while Mason Plumlee added 11 points. Nick Richards of Charlotte exited the game with 10:13 remaining after rolling his right ankle. He accumulated 5 points in 12 minutes.

Rozier played his 500th game of his career.

Russell Westbrook scored 17 points and Lonnie Walker IV added 15 for the Lakers, who were without Thomas Bryant due to a right shoulder injury with 3:16 remaining. Bryant had eight points and thirteen boards.