LOS ANGELES – With just two wins in their last eight games, the LA Lakers relied on their powerful 1-2 superstar combo to get back on track Thursday night at the Crypto.com Arena.
Anthony Davis tallied 26 points and eight rebounds and LeBron James added 17 points and 11 assists and the Lakers breezed to an easy 133-112 victory over the visiting Charlotte Hornets.
Rui Hachimura chipped in 17 points while the bench, which got a combined 32 points from guards Austin Reaves and D’Angelo Russell, erupted for 73 points.
In front of a capacity crowd of 19,068 fans, the Lakers put on a shooting clinic by hitting 52 of 97 field goals (53.6 percent) and 15 of 30 triples (50 percent). The Lakers also made all of their 14 free throws.
“Guys were playing for each other, playing the right way,” Davis said post-game, highlighting a team effort that characterized the Lakers before hitting a slump after winning the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
Led by Miles Bridges, who finished with 20 points, all Hornets starters scored in double figures. But their output was a mere 37 compared to the 73 from LA’s reserves.
Star point guard LaMelo Ball missed his 14th straight game due to a left ankle injury. His absence certainly did not help Charlotte’s cause.
“Our guys have worked hard but they know we’re short-handed,” Hornets head coach Steve Clifford after his team lost nine in a row and fell to 7-22 in the overall standings, 13th in the Eastern Conference. “This was a tough trip.”
The Lakers, meanwhile, improved to 17-15 for 8th place in the Western Conference
