The Charlotte Hornets lost LaMelo Ball in the second quarter of Monday’s 112-107 road victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Anthony Davis, impressing the crowd.
Ball was declared out for the remainder of the game by the team due to a sprained left ankle. He finished with one steal, one assist, and seven points.
Davis stunned fans with his 42-point, 23-rebound double-double, which helped the Lakers win for the fourth time in a row, even though they almost let the Hornets rally.
The Lakers climbed to 26-18 on the season as Davis added two blocks and a double-double while shooting 61 percent from the field. LaMelo Ball and the Hornets, meanwhile, continued to struggle and ended up losing 12-31.
LeBron James concluded the game with 22 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists in the win, which complemented Davis’ outstanding performance. Five rebounds, six assists, and 17 points were all provided by Austin Reaves.
Josh Okogie contributed 19 points and four steals off the bench, and Miles Bridges finished with 26 points, eight rebounds, and four assists on the opposite end of the court.
The Lakers took a commanding 39-19 lead going into the second quarter as Davis led them to a spectacular first quarter performance, scoring 21 points on 9 of 12 shooting in 12 minutes.
As Davis slowed down and only added two points to his total during that time, Austin Reaves took over and helped the Lakers score seven points.
The Hornets rallied from their deficit, outscoring the Lakers 32-30 in the second quarter to cut the deficit to eight points, despite James’ poor performance in the first half, hitting 0-of-5 from outside the arc and finishing with just seven points.
As the Hornets began to fight back from their 23-point hole, James rediscovered his flow after the half and scored 10 points for the Lakers. As the final quarter began, the Hornets were behind 86-77.
With less than six minutes remaining in regulation, Bridges’ two-pointer brought the Lakers within eight points, but Davis’ two free throws to end the game helped them pull away.
On Tuesday, the Lakers will travel to Philadelphia to play Tyrese Maxey and the 76ers in their second game of a back-to-back.
