Three takeaways on the Lakers

Even at full strength, the adage goes that a winning record on the road is a success, and the Lakers avoided what could have been a disastrous stretch by winning four times during this seven-game trip, fighting off fatigue and an undermanned Hornets teams on Tuesday.

Kyle Kuzma opened the game by airballing his first shot and hitting the side of the backboard on his next three-point attempt. But he rallied to lead the Lakers with 24 points, including a monster dunk over Charlotte center Bismack Biyombo.

The Lakers managed to beat the Hornets without much production from their big men, with Montrezl Harrell and Andre Drummond combining to score only 10 points.