Hornets blowout Lakers behind performances from Ball, Bridges, Miller, and Knueppel

The four combined for 100 total points for the Hornets.

Jan 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dunks the ball against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Coming off an extra day of rest after the Charlotte Hornets' loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday, the Hornets would be going across town to take on the Lakers.

While the Lakers would be without Austin Reaves, the Hornets would just be missing one player: Mason Plumlee, who remains out with a groin injury.

The Lakers were hitting from deep early, giving them an early 13-point lead. Miles Bridges could not miss, but the Hornets still trailed heading into the second quarter.

The second quarter is where the game turned on its head. The Lakers were held to a 1/11 start to the quarter and finished the quarter with just 16 points. On the other hand, the Hornets, led by 9 points from Brandon Miller, recorded 34 points, turning the 13-point deficit into a 9-point halftime lead.

LaMelo Ball's third quarters have been dominant lately, and Thursday was no different. He recorded 15 points in the third, hitting 4 threes and shooting 5/8 overall. The Hornets scored 40 points in the third quarter, giving them a double-digit lead headed into the fourth quarter.

Both teams have an offensive rating, defensive rating, and net rating within 0.7 points of each other. The main difference between the two teams is that the squad with LeBron James and Luka Doncic is 13-1 in clutch time games, while the squad of young guys is 3-13 during them/

The Hornets ensured the game never reached clutch time.

LaMelo recorded 12 fourth quarter points, and the Hornets were easily able to put the game to bed against the Lakers, taking them down 135-117, starting their road trip 2-1 with a matchup against Steph Curry and the Warriors tomorrow.

LaMelo Ball

After coming off a 25-point outing against the Clippers, LaMelo had a quiet first half, recording just three points.

The second half was an entirely different story.

The Hornets franchise star recorded 27 points, 4 assists, and hit 8 threes in the second half ALONE. He finished the night with 30 points, 11 assists, and 6 rebounds, playing a key part in the Hornets eventual blowout victory over the Lakers.

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