Hornets 108, Lakers 98
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Guard Kemba Walker matched his season high with 38 points, and the Charlotte Hornets upstaged Kobe Bryant's Farewell Tour with a 108-98 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.
Walker scored 18 of his points in the fourth quarter when the Hornets finally were able to pull away in a game that earlier saw 13 ties and 21 lead changes. Walker was 14 of 25 from the field with three 3-pointers. He also finished with six rebounds and five assists.
Bryant, making his final appearance in Charlotte, drew thunderous applause from a sellout crowd of 19,632 throughout the game. He finished with 20 points but had just four in the second half and was five of 20 from the field and three of 12 from 3-point range.
The Hornets (17-13) have now won two straight.
They also got 16 points from center Cody Zeller, 15 points and 11 rebounds from guard Nicolas Batum, and 13 points each from forward P.J. Hairston and guard Jeremy Lin.
The Lakers (5-27) have now lost four straight, six of their last seven, and 12 of their last 14.
They got 12 points from forwards Brandon Bass and Larry Nance Jr., and 11 points each from guards Lou Williams and Nick Young, and forward Julius Randle.
The Hornets led 31-26 after one quarter. The teams were tied at 58-58 at halftime before the Hornets pulled back out to an 85-81 lead after three. Charlotte eventually ended the suspense with a 9-2 spurt highlighted by seven straight Walker points, including a 3-point play.
NOTES: The Hornets paid tribute to Lakers G Kobe Bryant before the game. This was Bryant's final trip to Charlotte. He was actually drafted by the Hornets in 1996 and traded to the Lakers for C Vlade Divac. ... Bryant has averaged 24.2 points in 29 career games against the Hornets, and once scored 58 against the Hornets in 2006. ... The Hornets were without C Spencer Hawes (back) for the second straight game. ... The Lakers opened a brief three-game road trip with a 112-96 loss at Memphis Sunday afternoon. They will close out the trip on Wednesday at Boston. ... The Lakers have played 21 of their first 32 games this season on the road. ... The Hornets were coming off a 98-92 win over Memphis on Saturday. ... The Lakers came into the game ranked last in the NBA in field goal percentage at 41.2, and Bryant was shooting just 34.7. ... The Hornets have six comeback wins from deficits of 10 or more points this season. They had nine such wins all of last season. ... The Hornets were playing the third game of a four-game homestand. They will close it out on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Clippers.