The Los Angeles Lakers who had a good start to the season will be aiming for a third successive home victory when they play host to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday evening.
Both wings go to the weekend with disparate outcomes: the Hornets are high on morale after ending 10consecutive games without winning streak with a sore victory over the Phoenix Suns.
The Los Angeles Lakers were struck on the road losing their first road game of the year, falling decisively to a home-based Dallas Mavericks team who was missing several regular contributors in a 118-97 shellacking on Tuesday night.
Before the interval, it was to and fro until the Lakers relieved the lead after the first half, as LeBron James scored 18 points on 50 percent shooting, while Antony Davis recorded a 21-point 12-assist double-double.
Without Irving and floor general Luka Dončić, a relative unknown Quentin Grime scored 23 points, grabbed 9 rebounds and scored 6 assists to lead the Mavericks to their fourth win in five games against the visitors with his first 20-5-5 in franchise history and brought the Mavericks their sixth largest margin of victory in team history.
It was the second straight road loss for the Los Angeles Lakers following their 119-115 loss to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Centre on January 6 and they have followed it up by losing three of their five games in an up and down start to the new year.
JJ Redick’s men now complete their two-gamer as they head back to the Crypto.com Arena, where the defeated Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks in their last two games and have won five of their seven games since the start of December.
After 36 games this season, the Los Angeles Lakers are now 20-16 and sixth in the Western Conference standings, tied with their rivals and next-door neighbors, the Los Angeles Lakers, who are in seventh place with the same record.
However, when the two teams faced off at the Spectrum Center on Tuesday night, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Phoenix Suns 115-104, finally putting an end to the rot.
The Hornets appeared headed for yet another heartbreaking loss after a poor start in which they went 6-of-27 from the field in the first quarter. However, Charlotte rallied for the victory in the second quarter because to the efforts of offensive leader LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges.
As the Hornets ended their seven-game losing streak against Phoenix, Bridges scored 21 points on 47% shooting and Ball recorded his ninth double-double of the season with 32 points and 10 rebounds. Devin Booker and Kevin Durant combined for 65 points for the Suns.
Prior to that, Charles Lee's team had only won once in their last 19 games since November 24 and had lost 10 straight games, missing the 100-point milestone in four of those games.
The Hornets, who have an 8-27 record and are now ranked 13th in the Eastern Conference standings, will now face a team that they have lost to in each of their previous four meetings, dating back to a 134-130 victory in December 2022.
Cam Reddish, 25, will be regarded as day-to-day going into this weekend's game because he missed the previous game against the Dallas Mavericks due to a back issue.
Out of contention for Redick's team are guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, 21, and Christian Wood, who are both recovering from hamstring and knee injuries, respectively.
Although Jarred Vanderbilt, a 25-year-old forward, is getting closer to making his comeback from injury after more than a year away, he is not anticipated to participate in this weekend's match.
Regarding the Charlotte Hornets, veteran forward Grant Williams had a serious knee injury in November and will miss the rest of the season.
Since suffering a back injury against the Detroit Pistons in November, Tre Mann has missed all 20 of the team's games. The 23-year-old is anticipated to return on January 15.
