Recap: Cats Can't Slow Lake Show

TURNING POINTS
Bryant was on his A-game early with 18 of his game-high 24 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 30-18 lead… Los Angeles kept rolling in the second, outscoring the Bobcats 30-18 to take a commanding 24-point lead at halftime… Charlotte looked like a different team early in the second half as it cut the lead to 13 late in the third quarter. However, a barrage of Lakers 3-pointers ended the Bobcats run.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE
The Bobcats struggled inside against the larger Los Angeles lineup, getting outscored, 44-32, in the paint and outrebounded, 47-34… Charlotte shot just 34.8 percent from the field (31 of 89) to the Lakers 55.3 percent (42 of 76) … Los Angeles held a huge advantage at the 3-point, going 12 of 26 from long range, while the Bobcats connected on 2-of-9 treys… Charlotte did handle the ball well with 18 assists, compared to only nine turnovers.

BOBCATS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kemba Walker had another solid game running the show for the Bobcats with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. He also protected the ball well and had only one turnover in 35 minutes.

BOBCATS TOP RESERVE
Derrick Brown continued to provide great energy off the bench for the Bobcats. He finished with 12 points, three rebounds and a steal, marking the fifth time in six games he’s scored in double digits as a reserve.

LAKERS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Andrew Bynum had a big game for the Lakers on both ends of the court with 20 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots.

INSIDE THE LOCKER ROOM
"I didn't think we played as tough as we could have the first half, and that was a major problem. But, the second half I thought we did and we have to continue to do that against every team. Until we get our full team back, these guys have to take it upon themselves. If we play as hard as we can, weve got a chance to win."
- Bobcats Head Coach Paul Silas on the game

"It's been hard. But, we're a very young club, we're in a rebuilding mode, so there's basically nothing you can do. You do the best you can. We haven't had a lot of practice time to work the guys…It's been tough. My thing is I love winning. It's been hard on me, really difficult."
- Bobcats Head Coach Paul Silas on the team's start to the season

GAME NOTES
Henderson led the team with 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting… Henderson and Bryant each received technical fouls after the two started jawing at each other in the third quarter… Reggie Williams made his season debut for the Bobcats and totaled six points and two rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench… D.J. Augustin (toe) and Corey Maggette (hamstring) were both inactive.

NEXT UP
The Bobcats will be back in action as they continue their West Coast road trip against Lamarcus Aldridge and the Portland Trailblazers. Opening tip is scheduled for 10 p.m. on Wednesday at the Rose Garden. Catch all the action on SportSouth and listen to us on WFNZ. Also, don’t forget to join the chat at bobcats.com.