Luka Doncic poured in 38 points as the Los Angeles Lakers used a dominant third quarter to surge past the Charlotte Hornets, 121–111, on Monday night. The win marked the Lakers' sixth in their last seven games.
Forward Rui Hachimura scored 21 points, including 13 in a decisive third-quarter run, while shooting guard Austin Reaves added 24 for the Lakers, who turned a tight first half into a comfortable win by outscoring Charlotte 31–15 in the third.
Austin Reaves beats the halftime buzzer and flexes 💪 pic.twitter.com/cEW8sxV2Pw
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2025
Forward Miles Bridges led the Hornets with 34 points and seven 3-pointers, and rookie Kon Knueppel came close to his first career triple-double, finishing with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Still, Charlotte struggled to keep pace without injured stars LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller.
Doncic, the five-time All-Star, kept the crowd buzzing all night with five 3-pointers, slick assists, and even a rare two-handed dunk through traffic. At one point in the fourth quarter, he drained a casual three-quarter-court shot after a timeout, much to the delight of the Lakers fans in attendance.
Charlotte made a late push to cut the lead to eight with just over four minutes remaining, but Doncic responded with a driving and-one layup to halt the rally. Marcus Smart buried a corner 3 with 2:30 left to seal the victory. Smart finished the game with 13 points, six assists, and seven steals, his most steals in a game since 2017.
Bridges started hot with 16 first-quarter points, but the Hornets’ offense sputtered after halftime as the Lakers’ defense tightened.
