The L.A. Lakers kicked off 2023 by beating the Charlotte Hornets on the road 121-115. LeBron James followed up on his birthday performance with another stellar night, leading the Lakers in points for the seventh straight game in a row. He had 43 on the night, including making three free throws late to seal the game.
It wasn’t just the LBJ show; Thomas Bryant led the team in rebounds with 15 — and Austin Reaves had a bounce-back game after a couple of poor offensive performances, adding 15 off the bench.
Despite the overall easy win, the game was rocky in the first.