For a brief stretch, it looked like one of those nights where the Lakers could cruise. The offense had rhythm, the ball popped from side to side, and Luka Doncic played with the kind of calm confidence that usually signals something special is coming. Shots fell, Charlotte looked rattled, and the building felt ready to lean into a comfortable win.
Then LaMelo Ball flipped the script.
Once Ball found his groove, the tone of the game shifted in a hurry. Charlotte played freer, faster, and far more decisive, punishing every late rotation and defensive miscue. What started as a controlled night for Los Angeles slowly turned into a track meet they couldn’t keep up with. By the time the Hornets’ shooting barrage settled in, the outcome felt inevitable, even before the fourth quarter officially sealed a 117-135 Lakers loss.
Charlotte’s performance wasn’t just about one hot shooter. They spaced the floor with purpose, trusted the pass, and attacked defensive breakdowns without hesitation. The Lakers, meanwhile, watched their defensive intensity erode possession by possession. The urgency that had shown up earlier in the week never resurfaced, and once the Hornets gained confidence, there was no real counterpunch.
Luka Doncic: A-
Game Stats: 39 PTS, 3 REB, 4 AST, 1 TOV, 15-26 FG, 6-11 3-PT FG, 3-7 FT, 36 MIN
Doncic did almost everything offensively that could be asked of him. He was aggressive early, decisive late, and consistently found ways to score even as Charlotte adjusted coverage. His shot-making kept the Lakers afloat longer than they deserved to be, especially during stretches when the rest of the offense stalled.
That said, the game slipped away on the other end. Charlotte hunted mismatches, pushed the tempo, and took advantage of breakdowns that Doncic couldn’t always recover from. It wasn’t a poor performance, far from it, but it was another reminder that monster scoring nights don’t always change outcomes when the defense can’t keep up.
LeBron James: B+
Game Stats: 29 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK, 3 TOV, 10-19 FG, 3-6 3-PT FG, 6-7 FT, 33 MIN
LeBron James’ night had stretches of control and stretches of frustration, often within the same possession. Early on, he picked his spots well, letting the game come to him and bullying his way to efficient looks. As Charlotte’s shooting barrage grew louder, his body language told the story – still competing, still directing traffic, but clearly chasing momentum instead of dictating it. This wasn’t a poor performance, but it wasn’t the type that bends the outcome back into place either.
Jake LaRavia: B
Game Stats: 18 PTS, 3 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 2 TOV, 5-10 FG, 3-4 3-PT FG, 5-5 FT, 37 MIN
LaRavia quietly did his job, which in this game mattered more than it might seem. He spaced the floor, didn’t shy away from open shots, and competed defensively even when asked to punch above his weight. There were moments where his confidence stood out, not forcing anything, but also not hesitating. On a night when the Lakers’ bench offered very little rhythm, his minutes at least felt steady.
Deandre Ayton: C+
Game Stats: 12 PTS, 6 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 6-10 FG, 32 MIN
Ayton had moments where his size mattered, a few finishes inside, some defensive possessions where he deterred drives, but those moments came and went too quietly. Charlotte beat him down the floor more than once, and he didn’t consistently control the paint the way the Lakers needed.
It wasn’t a disastrous performance, but it felt passive. Against a team that was raining threes, Los Angeles needed dominance inside to balance the floor. That never fully materialized.
Marcus Smart: C+
Game Stats: 10 PTS, 4 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL, 3-9 FG, 1-5 3-PT FG, 3-4 FT, 32 MIN
Smart brought his usual edge, barking out coverages and trying to disrupt Charlotte’s rhythm, but the impact didn’t fully translate. Offensively, the shots didn’t fall, and when the Hornets started raining threes, even his defensive instincts couldn’t slow the tide. Still, his effort never dipped, and he was one of the few Lakers consistently trying to change the emotional temperature of the game.
Jarred Vanderbilt: C
Game Stats: 6 PTS, 5 REB, 3-4 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 15 MIN
Vanderbilt did what Vanderbilt does: crash, hustle, and make life uncomfortable where he could. He provided energy in short bursts, fought on the glass, and covered ground defensively. But in a game that turned into a shooting contest, his limitations became more visible. His minutes helped stabilize things briefly, but they didn’t change the direction of the night.
Kobe Bufkin: D
Game Stats: 3 REB, 1 STL, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 0-2 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 17 MIN
Bufkin showed effort and some defensive awareness, but the offensive confidence wasn’t there. He looked hesitant with the ball and passed up chances he might normally take.
The tools are still evident, but this wasn’t the night they showed.
Rui Hachimura: D
Game Stats: 3 PTS, 1 REB, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 1 TOV, 1-4 FG, 1-4 3-PT FG, 18 MIN
This was a tough night for Hachimura. His shot never found rhythm, and he struggled to make an impact when the ball wasn’t coming his way. The spacing suffered when he was on the floor, and Charlotte was comfortable leaving him unattended on the perimeter.
Defensively, he was often a step late on rotations, which only fed into Charlotte’s shooting confidence. It was a forgettable outing that highlighted how thin the Lakers’ margin is when their role players disappear.
Gabe Vincent: D-
Game Stats: 1 REB, 0-7 FG, 0-5 3-PT FG, 15 MIN
This was one of those nights Vincent will want to forget. The looks were there, the confidence wasn’t. Each miss seemed to tighten things rather than loosen them, and Charlotte never felt threatened by his presence offensively. When a bench unit is already struggling to keep up, nights like this hit especially hard.
Dalton Knecht: N/A
Game Stats: 0-1 FG, 2 MIN
Knecht never got comfortable, but he only had two minutes of action.
Nick Smith Jr.: N/A
Game Stats: 0-1 FG, 0-1 3-PT FG, 2 MIN
Smith struggled to make anything happen offensively by missing his only shot in two minutes.
Bronny James: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Bronny’s role was minimal, but at least he saw the floor.
Drew Timme: N/A
Game Stats: 2 MIN
Drew Timme only played two minutes and could not impact the game.
