Los Angeles Lakers

After scoring a franchise-record 158 points against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 117-114 on Friday at Spectrum Center to move to 28-22 on the season. 

The Hornets entered Friday with eight wins in their last 11 games, powered by budding star LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Terry Rozier. The trio was a big reason Charlotte defeated L.A. and will undoubtedly be a big reason the team reaches the postseason for the first time since the 2015-16 campaign. 

Meanwhile, the Lakers have been struggling as of late, entering Friday with a 3-6 record in their last nine games. Given the team's struggles, and the absences of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, it's not necessarily surprising Ball and Co. turned up the dial. 

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Notable Stats

LaMelo Ball, PG, CHA: 20 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK

Russell Westbrook, PG, LAL: 35 PTS, 4 REB, 5 AST

Miles Bridges, SF, CHA: 26 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST, 2 STL, 1 BLK

Carmelo Anthony, PF, LAL: 19 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK

Terry Rozier, SG, CHA: 20 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST

Austin Reaves, SG, LAL: 16 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST

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LaMelo Ball Leading Hornets to New Heights

When we talk about the Hornets, the first player to come to mind is Ball, who is undoubtedly the face of the franchise. And he helped power the team past the Lakers on Friday night with one of his flashier games of the season. 

Ball has been on a tear as of late and now has three consecutive games with at least 20 points after scoring 20 against L.A. 

Starting off strong 💪@MELOD1P x @MilesBridges#AllFly | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/iBjKHTdhNz

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 29, 2022

N🚫PE!@MELOD1P | @HornetsOnBally pic.twitter.com/vrTtPdmCGM

— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) January 29, 2022

The 2020 third overall pick has taken a significant step forward in his second season with the Hornets. It's almost unheard of. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists last season, his rookie year. In comparison, he entered Friday's game averaging 19.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 7.7 assists on the 2021-22 campaign. What he has done is nothing short of incredible. 

Ball's continued success is helping the Hornets reach new heights and has brought the team into the national spotlight. Friday's game between the Hornets and Lakers was shifted to a national broadcast on ESPN, proving the team is rising in relevancy. 

When Ball is on the floor, good things happen, and head coach James Borrego recently explained what he does that makes him so special and so effective.

"He impacts games so many ways," Borrego said after a 158-126 win over the Pacers on Wednesday. "He's on the board, he can move the ball, he can share it, he can score in multiple ways. He's got his imprint all over these games. Even if he's not scoring at a high level, he can rebound the ball. He's obviously a playmaker for us. He's a special kid, a special player. To be doing what he's doing at the age of 20 is special. You don't see this very often."

If Ball can continue at this rate throughout his career, the Hornets will be one of the most popular teams in the NBA in the coming years. 

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Russell Westbrook's Effort Not Enough

With James and Davis sidelined, the Lakers lacked star power Friday night against the Hornets. Sure, Russell Westbrook had one of his better games of the season, finishing with 35 points to help give L.A. the chance to win. However, his efforts weren't enough as the rest of the starting lineup fell short.

Aside from Westbrook, the Lakers' most effective players were Carmelo Anthony, Kent Bazemore and Austin Reaves. All three played off the bench.

It's somewhat of a good sign that the Lakers got a lot of punch from their bench, but the starters' struggles highlight the fact the team won't find much success when James and Davis aren't on the floor.

James, who leads the team in points, and Davis, who ranks second in points, are the two most effective players the Lakers have. Davis also ranks first in rebounds and third in assists, while James ranks third and second in those categories, respectively.

James missed Friday's game with left knee soreness, while Davis, who missed 17 games with a sprained MCL before returning Jan. 25, sat out with a sore right wrist.

When James and Davis return, it will be critical they try to develop some chemistry with Westbrook, because clearly he can still ball when called upon. Otherwise, it could be a long second half of the season as the trio has struggled when on the court together.

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What's Next?

The Hornets will host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, while the Lakers will travel to face the Atlanta Hawks on the same day.  

The Philadelphia 76ers have indefinitely banned a fan from all future team home games and Wells Fargo Center events after he allegedly shouted racist remarks at Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony during an NBA game Thursday.

A 76ers spokesperson relayed to ESPN's Dave McMenamin that the team made the decision following an investigation into the matter.

The incident occurred with 7:01 left in regulation of the 76ers' 105-87 home win over the Lakers. A pair of fans appeared to yell at Anthony, who walked near them as the game temporarily paused:

Melo got into it with this fan and he was removed from the game 👀 https://t.co/V3vpPHBXmx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2022

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported that one of the fans was ejected for repeatedly calling Anthony "boy."

Sixers fan that was ejected for taunting Los Angeles Lakers star Carmelo Anthony kept calling him a “boy” and yelling “get in the corner boy” and “keeping shooting boy,” league sources tell @YahooSports.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 28, 2022

Anthony confirmed the report postgame and added more information:

Carmelo Anthony confirmed that he was called "boy" by fans in Philadelphia and that line-crossing comments came from two different groups of people.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 28, 2022

The pair of fans Anthony initially gestured towards were soon ejected. The game restarted after stopping for nearly two minutes and finished without further incident.

The Los Angeles Lakers won't have their two best players for Friday's game against the Charlotte Hornets.

Head coach Frank Vogel announced LeBron James and Anthony Davis will sit with injuries. 

This will be the second consecutive game James has missed with a sore left knee. He didn't play in Thursday's 105-87 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. 

Davis is dealing with a wrist injury he suffered against the Sixers when he fell to the ground after a dunk in the first quarter. The eight-time All-Star didn't appear to be hampered by it, as he finished with 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting, 12 rebounds and four blocks in 34 minutes. 

After the game, Davis told reporters he had an X-ray that came back negative. 

"Just a soft tissue injury, soreness and stuff," Davis said.

Health will always be part of the story for Davis, who already missed significant time this season with a knee injury. He appeared in just 36 games during the 2020-21 campaign and has never played more than 75 games in a season in his career.

Nonetheless, Davis is one of the league's best players when healthy.

His resume includes an NBA title, four All-NBA selections, four All-Defensive selections, eight All-Star Game nods and a spot on the league's 75th-anniversary team.

He can patrol the paint as an elite interior defender, stretch his offensive game beyond the arc, contribute on the glass and work in pick-and-rolls with ruthless efficiency.

Davis is averaging 23.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.2 blocks and 1.2 steals per game in 29 starts this season.

While the Lakers likely need Davis on the floor if they are going to realistically compete for a title, look for the combination of Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and Stanley Johnson to see more time against the Hornets.

Government officials in California said there are no plans for a permanent memorial dedicated to Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the seven other victims at the site of a helicopter crash in January 2020.

The City of Calabasas confirmed to TMZ Sports there are "no plans for any sort of memorial at the crash site," a stance also held by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which controls the land where the crash took place.

Questions were raised about the future of the site after artist Dan Medina brought a 160-pound bronze statue to the area on Wednesday, the second anniversary of the tragedy.

Medina told Richard Winton of the Los Angeles Times he only planned to display the statue from sunrise to sunset, with hope a larger version would eventually find a more permanent home.

"I kind of want to follow the law, respect the locals, respect the Santa Monica Mountains," he said.

Medina added it was "kind of emotional" to see the statue surrounded by other items brought by fans.

"The flowers, the jerseys, the hats blow away, and I think we need something more permanent," he told Winton.

Bryant became one of the most well-known athletes in the world during a 20-year career with the Lakers that included five NBA championships and two Olympic gold medals as part of Team USA.

The Philadelphia native, who died at the age of 41, was posthumously inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in May.

During Thursday's loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony got into an altercation with some Philadelphia fans that resulted in their removal from the arena.

After the game, Anthony said he felt the fans went too far with some of the things they were saying.

"I'm cool with fans heckling, fans talking trash. ... But when you cross certain lines, as a man, that's what you're gonna see," he told reporters. He added he hopes the Sixers organization addresses the matter.

Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported sources told him a fan was using offensive language toward Anthony. According to Haynes, the fan "kept calling him a 'boy' and yelling 'get in the corner boy' and 'keeping shooting boy.'"

Per Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Anthony confirmed he was called "boy" and said the comments came from two different groups of people. 

The incident occurred during a stoppage of play in the fourth quarter of Thursday's game. As soon as the whistle blew, Anthony made his way toward the fans before a referee stopped him and security stepped in.

The broadcast indicated those fans had been antagonizing Anthony throughout the quarter. Security escorted them out of their seats and into the tunnel.

Melo got into it with this fan and he was removed from the game 👀 https://t.co/V3vpPHBXmx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2022

There's been an uptick in fan-related incidents in the NBA in recent seasons. For example, a New York Knicks fan was banned from Madison Square Garden for spitting on Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young last year. 

The Sixers will likely conduct an investigation, and if what was reported is found to be true, those fans may face the same fate.

The Philadelphia 76ers earned a 105-87 home win over the LeBron James-less Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center.

Three-point shooting made all the difference: Philadelphia made 13 shots from downtown, while L.A. went 6-of-29 from three.

Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 26 points, Tobias Harris scored 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting and Tyrese Maxey's 10 assists led all players. Thanks to their efforts, the 76ers ran away with this one in the third quarter after outscoring L.A. 34-20.

The Lakers missed James, who sat with a sore left knee. Head coach Frank Vogel relayed the news to reporters pregame:

Vogel said that LeBron woke up with some soreness in the knee, enough to rule him out for tonight’s game. No further testing or anything is planned. They’ll see how he feels tomorrow.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 27, 2022

Anthony Davis did all he could to keep the Lakers in this game, scoring 31 points on 14-of-21 shooting and grabbing 12 rebounds. The rest of the team largely struggled, though, making 22-of-67 field goals.

The 29-19 76ers have now won four of their last five games. The 24-25 Lakers have alternated losses and wins over their past seven matchups.

     

Notable Performances

Lakers F/C Anthony Davis: 31 points, 12 rebounds

Lakers G Russell Westbrook: 20 points

Lakers G Malik Monk: 11 points, 5 assists

76ers C Joel Embiid: 26 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists

76ers F Tobias Harris: 23 points, 5 rebounds

76ers G Tyrese Maxey: 14 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds

         

76ers Cruise in 3rd Quarter To Put Game Away

Early in the third quarter, the Lakers trailed just 54-52 with Davis' latest bucket giving him 19 points. The big man was the best player on the floor despite suffering a right wrist injury that briefly sent him to the locker room in the first quarter.

However, the rest of the Lakers couldn't follow suit, and the 76ers took advantage in the third quarter.

Maxey got rolling in the third, scoring eight points in under three minutes during one stretch. A Tobias Harris three-pointer following that spurt and another Maxey layup gave the 76ers a 72-58 lead.

Matisse Thybulle's defense also took center stage, with a pair of steals leading to four points during the spurt. The second of them led to the run-ending Maxey bucket.

Matisse ThyBULLY. pic.twitter.com/rd4EVhSv2I

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2022

Tisse 👉 Rese 💥 pic.twitter.com/gwLlY6rTSK

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2022

Embiid took over for the rest of the third quarter, dropping seven points and adding two dimes. This three-point play gave Philly a 79-63 lead:

I am so happy he's on our side. 🙂 pic.twitter.com/q2lXuSkFBi

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2022

The big man later took advantage of a double-team and found Niang for a wide-open three:

https://t.co/aQrjB0Ulsv pic.twitter.com/BOkjp9wC41

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) January 28, 2022

The 76ers went up by as many as 22 in the third. The Lakers chipped away in the fourth and knocked the lead down to 12 points, but Philadelphia held L.A. off for the comfortable win thanks to its third-quarter cushion.

     

AD Does It All for Lakers

The Lakers' lone silver lining is that Davis looked like his best self in his second game back after missing over a month with a sprained MCL.

Davis looked spry early when he ran up the court and caught Malik Monk's Hail Mary pass for two:

Monk with the perfect pass up the floor! 👀 #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/aFCawQy0ue

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 28, 2022

He frankly outplayed Embiid all night, dunking on the big man here to tie the game at 14:

🔨 @AntDavis23 🔨 pic.twitter.com/2FpxTypiLd

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 28, 2022

The Monk-Davis connection kept working, with AD going up top to finish off the guard's alley-oop pass:

Monk tosses it up high for the @AntDavis23 oop! 💥 pic.twitter.com/E7LFaSIBpN

— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) January 28, 2022

If not for Davis' efforts, this game may have been over early in the third quarter. His work was made more impressive by the fact that Davis dominated against Embiid, who has typically gotten the best of AD over the years:

AD (23 points, 5 boards, 2 blocks) out-dueled Joel Embiid (13 points, 6 boards) in the first half, hitting 10 of 13 FG’s, including 7 for 7 in the paint, plus 3 jump shots.

But Philly was +15 from three, and holds a 54-48 lead.

— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) January 28, 2022

Unbelievable first half from Anthony Davis, who Embiid has played well against in his career: 23 points on 10-13 shooting. A nice mix of easy ones from his teammates but also a few tough, well-contested mid-rangers.

Sixers still lead the LeBron-less Lakers at halftime, 54-48.

— Rich Hofmann (@rich_hofmann) January 28, 2022

        

The second half was largely a disaster for L.A., as the 76ers dominated on both ends. James' absence clearly played a part, and the Lakers' inability to produce much offense outside AD did as well.

Still, the Lakers could perhaps (finally) get on a consistent winning track if they have a healthy James and Davis together, especially with the latter looking great.

Having the two on the court together has been a luxury all season, but they could hit their stride if that pairing is finally realized on anything more than a sporadic basis this year.

    

What's Next?

Philadelphia will host the Sacramento Kings on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Lakers will visit the Charlotte Hornets on Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Spectrum Center.

A pair of Philadelphia 76ers fans were apparently ejected after getting into a verbal altercation with Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony on Thursday at Wells Fargo Center.

Melo got into it with this fan and he was removed from the game 👀 https://t.co/V3vpPHBXmx

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2022

According to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes, one of the fans was ejected for repeatedly calling Anthony "boy." 

Sixers fan that was ejected for taunting Los Angeles Lakers star Carmelo Anthony kept calling him a “boy” and yelling “get in the corner boy” and “keeping shooting boy,” league sources tell @YahooSports.

— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) January 28, 2022

Anthony confirmed the report postgame:

Carmelo Anthony confirmed that he was called "boy" by fans in Philadelphia and that line-crossing comments came from two different groups of people.

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 28, 2022

“Unacceptable language and unacceptable behavior by fans, is the simplest way to put it," Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters after the game. "There’s gotta be a higher standard and hopefully that’s handled the right way." 

The game temporarily paused after 76ers forward Georges Niang committed a personal foul on a Lakers possession with 7:01 remaining in regulation and Philadelphia up 94-78.

Anthony then appeared to walk in the direction of a pair of fans who were shouting in his direction. Officials stepped on the court between Anthony and the fans, who were soon escorted out by event staff.

Melo soon walked over to the corner of the court and then a third fan appeared to have words with Anthony as 76ers center Joel Embiid got between the two to defuse the situation:

Carmelo Anthony not happy with a Philly fan

Joel Embiid tried to calm the situation pic.twitter.com/7Q3ImKh9OZ

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 28, 2022

The matchup restarted less than two minutes after the initial stoppage with the Lakers inbounding the ball. Anthony stayed in.

As for the game itself, the 76ers won 105-87.

The starters for the 2022 NBA All-Star Game have been announced, led by captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant for the second consecutive year. 

James was leading the fan vote during the last update on Jan. 20 with 6.8 million votes. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is a starter for the 18th consecutive year. He has been a team captain every year since the NBA adopted the current All-Star format in 2018. 

Durant was able to maintain his spot as the top vote-getter on the fan ballot in the Eastern Conference, despite not being able to play in a game since Jan. 15 due to a sprained MCL. Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported the Brooklyn Nets star won't play in the NBA's midseason game. 

This will mark the second straight year that Durant has been voted as a captain but won't play in the All-Star Game. He sat out the 2021 event in Atlanta because of an ankle injury. 

With James and Durant set to captain their respective teams, here are the rest of the starters that they will build their rosters from during the All-Star draft. 

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Western Conference All-Star Starters

Frontcourt: LeBron James (Lakers), Nikola Jokic (Nuggets), Andrew Wiggins (Warriors)

Guards: Stephen Curry (Warriors), Ja Morant (Grizzlies)

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Eastern Conference All-Star Starters

Frontcourt: Kevin Durant (Nets), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Joel Embiid (76ers)

Guards: DeMar DeRozan (Bulls), Trae Young (Hawks)

The frontcourt talent from both conferences is absolutely loaded. The Western Conference has James and reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic at the top right now. 

James has been doing everything in his power to keep the Lakers afloat amid their struggles and injuries. The three-time All-Star Game MVP is averaging 32.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists with a 54.1 field-goal percentage in 18 games since Dec. 19. 

Speaking of nearly single-handedly keeping a team afloat because of injuries, Jokic has been a one-man wrecking crew for the Denver Nuggets in the first half this season. The 26-year-old is making his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance thanks to ranking seventh in scoring average (26.2), second in rebounding (13.8) and ninth in assists (7.6). 

Nikola Jokic lead the league (among many stats) in Box Plus Minus (BPM) at 14.1.

Giannis is 2nd at 10.4, a gap between the two of 3.7.

To bridge that same 3.7 gap, you have to go down to Ja at 8th w/ 5.8, after going through Embiid 8.9, LBJ 8.2, Butler 7.8, KD 7.3, Steph 6.8. pic.twitter.com/wvp7qxZf6h

— Joel Rush (@JoelRushNBA) January 23, 2022

The Nuggets (26-21) are still sixth in the Western Conference despite Michael Porter Jr. only playing nine games and Jamal Murray still out rehabbing his torn ACL. 

Andrew Wiggins, now in his eighth season, is an All-Star for the first time. He has been instrumental in Golden State's 35-13 start. The 26-year-old is shooting a career-high 40.4 percent from three-point range and averaging 18.1 points per game. 

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft, Wiggins has had quite the career turnaround since being acquired by the Warriors in February 2020. He has been an essential part of their defense over the past two seasons, in addition to being a more efficient offensive player. 

Since Durant likely won't be available to play, the top two Eastern Conference frontcourt All-Stars are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Joel Embiid. 

Antetokounmpo is playing better this season than when he led the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA title in 2020-21. He is averaging a career-high 6.0 assists per game, along with 28.6 points and 11.2 rebounds per contest. 

Embiid is arguably the MVP favorite this season and the best big man in the Eastern Conference right now. He ranks second in the NBA in ESPN's player efficiency rating (31.75) and has scored at least 30 points in 14 of his last 15 games. 

Joel Embiid tonight:

42 PTS
14 REB
4 BLK
in 33 MINS

It’s his 5 straight game where he’s had more points than minutes. pic.twitter.com/sRKg5Lj5uM

— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 26, 2022

The starting guards in the Western Conference appear to have a clear edge over their Eastern Conference counterparts. 

Stephen Curry has tailed off a bit since a red-hot start to the season, but he's still averaging 25.8 points per game in 44 starts. He leads the league in three-pointers made (209) and attempted (560). 

This will be Curry's eighth career All-Star appearance. The Golden State Warriors guard has started the game each time he's been selected. 

Joining Curry as the West's other backcourt starter is Ja Morant, whose breakout season landed him his first All-Star selection. He has led the Memphis Grizzlies to third in the Western Conference standings with a 33-17 record. 

Morant is on pace to average career highs in scoring (25.8 points per game), rebounding (5.9), field-goal percentage (48.9) and three-point percentage (35.8). He has also been a human highlight reel on both ends of the court.

JA. WOW. https://t.co/hQs7UaKYkg

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 10, 2022

Another special night for @JaMorant 🥷

41 points | 8 assists | 5 rebounds | 2 steals | 8-10 FT pic.twitter.com/qOCJ5X8uj6

— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) January 27, 2022

Morant is the fourth player in Grizzlies history named to the All-Star team and first since Marc Gasol in 2016-17.  

DeMar DeRozan has proved all of his doubters wrong with his dazzling play for the Chicago Bulls this season. He ranks sixth in the league in scoring average (26.4 points per game) and is shooting 49.7 percent from the field on 19.1 attempts per contest. 

This will be DeRozan's fifth career All-Star appearance but his first since 2018 when he was in his final season with the Toronto Raptors. 

There has been some controversy about DeRozan's position on the All-Star ballot. He was officially listed as a guard by the league, despite his primary position with the Bulls being power forward. 

Regardless of what position he has played, DeRozan has undoubtedly performed like one of the league's best players and is a deserving All-Star starter. 

Trae Young returns to the All-Star team for the second time in three seasons. The Atlanta Hawks point guard remains one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NBA. He ranks fifth in the league with 27.7 points per game, third in assists (9.3) and is shooting a career-high 38.0 percent from behind the arc. 

The All-Star draft will take place Feb. 10. The 2022 All-Star Game will be held at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland on Feb. 20 at 8 p.m. ET. 

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will not play in Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers and is considered day-to-day.

James did not seem thrilled about having to sit out the contest:

🤬🤬🤬🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️

— LeBron James (@KingJames) January 27, 2022

James missed time earlier this season with an abdominal strain but returned to the Lakers lineup for a Nov. 19 matchup against the Boston Celtics. 

The 37-year-old continues to be a significant factor for the Lakers this season, averaging 29.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game while shooting 52.2 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from deep. 

Despite being quite durable for most of his career, James missed a significant amount of time during the 2020-21 campaign because of several injuries.

While James is sidelined, the Lakers will rely on Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook to lead the way, with Carmelo Anthony and Malik Monk among those who will likely be asked to take on bigger roles.

The Lakers are 24-24 this season, tied for eighth place in the Western Conference. They'll need James to be healthy to make a run to the NBA Finals, but that's a ways away.