One may have thought that the 8-24 Charlotte Hornets coming to town would’ve given the Los Angeles Lakers a prime opportunity to get a much-needed win without Anthony Davis.
Instead, the Lakers’ problems continued.
The most glaring stat was the 17 L.A. turnovers that turned into 32 points for the Hornets, as well as their 29 fast-break points versus 10 for the Lakers. Once again, the Purple and Gold put forth a weak defensive performance, giving up 40 points in the second quarter and falling behind by 16 in the third quarter.
With LeBron James resting midway through the third, the team’s second unit started chipping away at the deficit, and with less than a minute left, the score was tied at 130. But the Lakers botched a fast-break opportunity and turned the ball over with 32.1 seconds left. They ended up losing, 134-130, their third loss in a row.