LaMelo Ball, Luka Doncic
The Los Angeles Lakers entered Thursday night hoping to build momentum. Instead, they slipped back into familiar trouble despite a heroic effort from Luka Doncic.
Two nights after a high-energy win that felt like a turning point, the Lakers unraveled in a 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena, per OC Register. Defensive lapses, missed shots, and a stagnant second quarter opened the door for Charlotte to take control and never fully look back.
Los Angeles Lakers struggled to match the urgency they showed earlier in the week. They scored just 16 points in the second quarter, lost defensive discipline, and allowed the Hornets’ young backcourt to dictate the pace. Even with star power producing offensively, the Lakers could not string together stops when it mattered.
Doncic still delivered his usual scoring punch. He finished with 39 points on efficient shooting, including six three-pointers, controlling the offense whenever he touched the ball. But his production could not offset what happened on the other end of the floor.
That story centered on LaMelo Ball.
Luka Doncic Tips Cap to LaMelo Ball’s Shot-Making
Ball torched the Lakers with one of his most explosive shooting performances of the season. He poured in 30 points and buried nine three-pointers, eight of them after halftime, repeatedly breaking Los Angeles’ defensive coverages with off-the-dribble pull-ups.
After the game, Doncic acknowledged how difficult Ball was to contain, according to Yahoo.
“I mean, he hit some crazy shots, but that’s what he does,” Doncic said. “He was shooting a lot of shots off the dribble. We planned for that, but he hit some crazy shots. As I said, he does that, so he got really hot.”
Ball’s rhythm proved unstoppable once he found it coming out of the locker room. Doncic pointed to the volume and timing of those makes as the difference.
“He made nine threes tonight, eight threes in the second half, so it was hard to stop him,” Doncic added.
Ball did far more than score. He added 11 assists and six rebounds, consistently collapsing the defense and creating clean looks for teammates. The Hornets fed off that energy, pushing the lead as the Lakers struggled to respond.
Lakers’ Defensive Issues Resurface in Costly Loss
The Lakers had emphasized flow and freedom in their previous win, a point veteran guard Marcus Smart highlighted postgame. That rhythm never materialized against Charlotte. Instead, the Hornets shot 54 percent from the field and nearly 47 percent from three-point range, punishing every late rotation.
LeBron James contributed 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists, but Los Angeles could not overcome breakdowns that piled up throughout the night. Charlotte scored 105 points over the final three quarters, a stretch that erased any chance of a comeback.
JJ Redick pointed to execution rather than effort when evaluating the loss.
“You’re going to have stretches like that, but a lot of times when that happens, we’re really disorganized and we have high turnovers and it wasn’t that,” Redick said. “We ran the offense and either missed shots or didn’t create any advantage.”
Charlotte also received key contributions from Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, who combined to keep pressure on the Lakers even when Ball rested. The Hornets played with confidence, celebrating each momentum swing as the home crowd grew quieter.
For the Lakers, the loss marked their fourth in five games, a reminder that consistency remains elusive. Doncic’s praise for Ball underscored the night’s reality. Elite shot-makers can flip games quickly, and on Thursday, the Lakers had no answer once Ball caught fire.