Kobe Bryant was reluctant to brand the Lakers’ first win of the season a turning point as LA ended their five-match losing slump.
Bryant and Jeremy Lin scored 21 points apiece as the Lakers defeated Charlotte 107-92, bringing an end to their worst start to a campaign.
Bryant he added. Offensively, Lin said, he and Bryant are still adjusting to each other.
“It’s just a process,” said Lin, who was traded to the Lakers by the Houston Rockets in July.
“He’s got to learn to continue to trust me and I have to learn to trust him and what that looks like in terms of when to give the ball to the other person.
“It’s not like we’re both coming in inherently trying to be selfish. We both want it to work, we just have to figure out how and today was a step in the right direction.”
Carlos Boozer finished with 16 points and Jordan Hill added 12 with a career-high seven assists for the Lakers.
Al Jefferson led the Hornets with 23 points, while Kemba Walker added 17 and Marvin Williams 11. Meanwhile, Steph Curry cursed a series of missed opportunities for Golden State as their status as the NBA’s last undefeated team ended against Phoenix.
Isaiah Thomas top scored for the Suns with 22 points in the 107-95 triumph, while Curry continued his impressive early season form with 28 points. But the Warriors’ guard scored just six of those in the second half as Golden State let leads of 11 points at half-time, and eight points at the end of the third quarter, slip.
Curry, who was without backcourt partner Klay Thompson who had a sprained right hand, said: “We just made a lot of stupid plays that gave them life as opposed to putting the nail in the coffin when we had the opportunity to do that.”
