Swarm and Sting
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Charlotte Hornets earn road victory over Los Angeles Lakers

By Evan Birchmore

Dec 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) embrace after the game at Crypto.com Arena. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 134-130. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Gordon Hayward (20) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) embrace after the game at Crypto.com Arena. The Hornets defeated the Lakers 134-130. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Charlotte Hornets earned their first road win over the Los Angeles Lakers in nearly five years on Friday night as they emerged with a 134-130 victory.

P.J. Washington led the Hornets with 24 points, while LeBron James posted 34 points to lead the Lakers.

With the win, the Hornets are now 9-24 on the season.

What went right for the Charlotte Hornets?

Hot shooting night

The Hornets shot 55.3% (52/94) from the field and 39.0% (16/41) from three-point range. The 55.3% field goal percentage is Charlotte’s highest in a game this season, while the 39.0% three-point field goal percentage is their seventh highest in a game this season.

The 52 made field goals are a new season high in a game for the Hornets, while the nine made three-point field goals are their second-most in a game this season.

Avoiding blocked shots

The Lakers blocked just one shot, tied for the fewest blocked shots by any team in a game against the Hornets this season. It took until the 9:06 mark of the fourth quarter for the block to occur, as Wenyen Gabriel blocked a Mason Plumlee shot attempt. However, Plumlee secured the loose ball and drew a foul immediately afterwards.

What went wrong for the Charlotte Hornets?

The injury bug bites again

Nick Richards had to exit the game in the fourth quarter due to a sprained right ankle, providing another blow to Charlotte’s rotation just as it appeared that they were finally getting healthy again.

Letting the Lakers hang around 

The Hornets entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead and held a 12-point advantage with less than seven minutes remaining. However, they found themselves in a tie game with less than one minute to play, as a 30-18 run by the Lakers drew the score to a tie. While the Hornets were able to get a clutch basket and a defensive stop in the final seconds, the game wound up being much closer than it needed to be down the stretch.

What is next for the Charlotte Hornets?

Monday, December 26th – at Portland Trail Blazers (10:00 p.m.)

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