When the game was slipping away in the fourth quarter, New Orleans Hornets rookie forward Anthony Davis was on the bench instead of playing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. He stood and cheered on his teammates instead of contesting shots and trying to score in the post.
When he finally got off the bench with 25 seconds remaining, Lakers star Kobe Bryant had already done his damage against the Hornets, rallying his team from an 18-point fourth-quarter deficit that ultimately led to a 108-102 victory in a front of 16,019 at the New Orleans Arena.
Hornets Coach Monty Williams said it was his choice to sit Davis for most of the quarter, although his team made only 4-of-23 shots, committed six turnovers and was held scoreless for the final 6:47.