Dwight Howard made the play of the game with a critical blocked shot on Robin Lopez, and the Los Angeles Lakers used a 20-0 run late in the fourth quarter to complete an incredible comeback and stun the New Orleans Hornets, 108-102, on Wednesday night at New Orleans Arena.
Lakers vs. Hornets final score: L.A. stuns NOLA in incredible comeback, 108-102
The Lakers won a game they absolutely had to have behind a vintage performance from the Black Mamba.
Crystal LoGiudice-USA TODAY Sports
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L.A. was down by 25 points, and 18 in the fourth quarter, before storming back to shock the helpless Hornets.
Kobe Bryant was his vintage self and led the Lakers' amazing charge, scoring a midrange jumper with 36.3 seconds left that put L.A. ahead for good. Howard's block then sealed the Hornets' fate.
Bryant had a game-high 42 points, 18 of which came in the final frame. He added 12 assists and seven rebounds to cap the comeback. Jodie Meeks had a strong performance in his own regard, with 19 points.
It was a balanced effort for New Orleans (21-41), who saw seven players score in double figures, including all five starters. Eric Gordon led the way with 18 points, five rebounds and five assists while Al-Farouq Aminu had a double-double with 12 points and 16 rebounds. The Hornets outrebounded the Lakers by a margin of 52-36 and scored nine fast-break points.
The Lakers (31-31) reached the .500 mark once again after losing on Tuesday to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They also picked up a critical game on the Utah Jazz, who lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier in the evening.
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