Hornets at Lakers
There’s no question which team will have the momentum when the Los Angeles Lakers host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday. Charlotte is coming off a dramatic double-overtime win Friday night against the visiting Hawks, as Lance Stephenson banked in a straightaway 3-pointer at the buzzer to break the final tie. The Lakers, on the other hand, have lost their first five games, which represents the organization’s worst start since 1957.
Stephenson, who had 17 points and 13 rebounds against Atlanta, will be eager to show Los Angeles and its fans what they missed on when the Lakers bypassed Stephenson in pursuit of bigger-name free agents last summer and then struck out. Kobe Bryant seems intent on proving himself this season as well, he just isn’t getting the results, both individually and as a team. Bryant came into the weekend leading the NBA in scoring (27.6), but the 19-year veteran is also shooting just 40.2 percent from the floor on his 24.4 attempts per game.
TV: 9:30 p.m. ET, SportSouth (Charlotte), TWC SN (Los Angeles)
ABOUT THE HORNETS (3-3): Gerald Henderson was third on Charlotte in scoring last season, but the sixth-year shooting guard has been passed up by Gary Neal and P.J. Hairston as backups to Stephenson at shooting guard. For the first time since his rookie season, Henderson did not get in the game Friday night even though he was healthy and available. Neal scored 23 points off the bench and Hairston had a solid stat line of four points, three rebounds and two assists in 12 minutes.
ABOUT THE LAKERS (0-5): The two-year, $18-million contract Jordan Hill signed over the summer is beginning to look like one of the few good investments Los Angeles has made lately. Hill, who came to the Lakers without much fanfare in a deal that sent the popular Derek Fisher to Houston 2 ½ years ago, has been a monster so far this season, averaging 14.8 points and 9.2 rebounds. The key is whether he can keep up that pace.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Charlotte C Al Jefferson has scored 40 points four times in his career, once against Charlotte in 2008 when playing for Minnesota and most recently against the Lakers last January.
2. Charlotte has won four of its last five overtime games dating to last season.
3. Bryant is 26 missed shots from passing John Havlicek for the most in NBA history.