LaMelo Ball led a spirited second-half comeback as the Charlotte Hornets stunned the Los Angeles Lakers 100-97 on Wednesday, securing only their fifth road win of the season, MySportDab Reports.
Ball, 23, finished with 27 points, including five three-pointers, while Miles Bridges top-scored for Charlotte with 29 points. The Hornets overcame a sluggish start to rally from a 13-point deficit and hand the Lakers a frustrating loss at home.
Los Angeles, with LeBron James and Luka Doncic both in the starting lineup, appeared to be in control after building a 65-52 lead late in the third quarter.
However, Ball’s sharp shooting and the ejection of Lakers guard Austin Reaves swung momentum in Charlotte’s favor.
The Hornets responded with a stunning 17-1 run, capped by Seth Curry’s deep three-pointer to give them a 69-66 advantage heading into the fourth quarter. Ball then sank two more three-pointers early in the final period, extending Charlotte’s lead to nine points at 75-66.
The Lakers fought back, with James hitting a layup to briefly restore their lead at 78-77. However, Bridges nailed a clutch 30-foot three-pointer to push Charlotte ahead 93-90 with under two minutes remaining.
Doncic’s layup briefly put the Lakers back in front, but rookie Nick Smith Jr. responded with a decisive three-pointer to reclaim the lead for Charlotte. Ball sealed the win with four crucial points in the closing moments, while James missed two late three-point attempts that could have forced overtime.
James finished 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 pointed to his team’s offensive struggles as the key reason for the defeat.
“I think we played 39 to 44 minutes of pretty poor offense,” Redick admitted. “Some of it was sloppiness, some of it was poor execution. I thought our competitive spirit was good enough to win, but we were just really poor offensively for 90 percent of the game.”
The loss leaves the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 32-21 record, while the Hornets continue to search for consistency in a tough season.
