The Los Angeles Lakers held off a second-half comeback to beat the Charlotte Hornets 121-115 on Monday night.
After the game, Los Angeles coach Darvin Ham discussed the defensive effort that helped lead to the win. The Lakers held opponents to 45 points in the first half and scored 60 (19 points from LeBron James).
James had 43 points, 11 rebounds and six assists for the Lakers, his second straight game with 40+ points. Thomas Bryant added 18 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers in the win, while LaMelo Ball had 24 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Hornets in the loss.
The Lakers improve to 16-21 on the season, while the Hornets fall to 10-28.
Russell Westbrook, the 2017 NBA MVP, was unable to finish the game due to a foot injury.
