Hornets 101, Lakers 82
LOS ANGELES -- Even short-handed, the Charlotte Hornets had more than enough for the Los Angeles Lakers.
Forwards Marvin Williams and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist scored 19 points and grabbed 12 rebounds apiece, and the Hornets pounded the lowly Lakers 101-82 Sunday night at Staples Center.
Point guard Kemba Walker had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists in three quarters for the Hornets, who snapped a two-game losing streak. Charlotte (23-25) also got 11 points from backup center Frank Kaminsky.
Forward Kobe Bryant scored 23 points, hitting four 3-pointers, to pace the Lakers, who tied a franchise record with their 10th consecutive loss. Guards Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams scored 13 and 11 points, respectively, for Los Angeles (9-41). Forward Julius Randle finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, while backup point guard D'Angelo Russell had 10 points and six rebounds.
The Hornets were without centers Al Jefferson (right knee surgery) and Cody Zeller (strained right shoulder) and forwards Nicolas Batum (toe strain) and Jeremy Lamb (sprained big toe), but it still didn't hurt them against the Lakers.
Charlotte shook off a sluggish first quarter to roll the following three periods. The Hornets outscored the Lakers 37-27 in the second quarter for a 58-43 halftime advantage. By the end of the third quarter, the lead grew to 83-60 as the boos from Lakers' fans intensified.
The Hornets rode their 3-point shooting in the first half, converting 11 of 21 attempts (52.4 percent) to six of 13 (46.2 percent) for the Lakers. Overall, Charlotte made 13 of 36 (36.1 percent) from long distance to eight for 29 (27.6 percent) for Los Angeles.
The Hornets actually were hitting a higher percentage of 3-pointers for much of the game. They finished making 37.5 percent of their shots from the floor compared to 33.8 percent for the Lakers.
Charlotte held a considerable edge in the rebounding department at 59-42. The Hornets also outscored the Lakers 20-4 in second-chance points, and they limited the Lakers to 13 assists while compiling 28.
NOTES: Lakers F Larry Nance Jr., who missed the contest with a sore right knee, could be out until after the All-Star break. Nance, who is averaging 5.8 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, missed four games in late January dealing with the problematic knee, and the club is taking a more cautious approach regarding his return. ... Charlotte won 108-98 behind 38 points from G Kemba Walker in the two clubs' initial meeting Dec. 28. ... Marge Hearn, 98, the widow of the late and legendary former Lakers broadcaster Chick Hearn, died of natural causes Saturday night. ... The Hornets host the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. ... The Lakers play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at Staples Center.