Anthony Davis and LeBron James power Los Angeles Lakers past Charlotte Hornets

Benyam Kidane

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Anthony Davis and LeBron James power Los Angeles Lakers past Charlotte Hornets image

The Los Angeles Lakers stormed home in the fourth quarter to beat the Charlotte Hornets 120-101, led by Anthony Davis, LeBron James and Dwight Howard.

Davis recorded a game-high 29 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks, steadying the ship in the first half, scoring 25 points ahead of the break, before James and Howard took over late in the game.


James spent the majority of the contest facilitating the Lakers' offence, before scoring 14 points in the fourth quarter to put the game out of reach, finishing with 20 points, 12 assists and six rebounds.

With the Lakers leading by seven after three quarters, James started the fourth on fire, burying a pair of free throws, before finding Howard for a dunk. He continually put the Hornets defence under pressure with his drives to the basket, scoring back-to-back layups, stretching the lead to 16 points with 9:30 remaining.

While Davis and James led the charge, the loudest cheers were reserved for Dwight Howard, who turned in his best performance of the young season, recording 16 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting, adding 10 rebounds and four blocks.

His energy and activity on the defensive end set the tone for the Lakers, with the 33-year-old a +23 in his 22 minutes on court.


The defensive intesity was contageous, with Alex Caruso hounding the perimeter in his 13 minutes on court, playing the passing lanes and making life difficult for the Hornets guards. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope shook off his rough 0-of-11 shooting start to the season, scoring 10 points on 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from three.

The Hornets, who are now 1-2 on the season, were led by Miles Bridges, who scored 23 points. Terry Rozier added 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Cody Zeller recorded a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds. 

Benyam Kidane

Benyam Kidane Photo

Benyam Kidane is a senior NBA editor and has been covering the league for The Sporting News since 2016. In his spare time you can find him watching Allen Iverson highlights on repeat.