Any team missing two MVP caliber players will suffer a slump. But the Los Angeles Lakers are not giving up easily. Despite being without Anthony Davis and LeBron James for almost a month, the team is fighting for wins every night.

Tonight, they beat the Hornets in a close encounter. They had a comfortable lead, but then the Hornets turned up the heat in the fourth quarter. The Lakers endured the pressure and took home the win after making some clutch shots.

Along with the absence of their two superstars, the Lakers are also dealing with multiple injury problems. However, that doesn’t bring them down and only makes them work harder. After the game, new arrival Andre Drummond spoke about how the Lakers are managing wins in these circumstances.

He said, “For a team that has so many people out right now and guys that are hurt, we’re still finding ways to pull together and win. It just shows the fight and grind that we have here… You can’t expect us to have much (offensive) chemistry when we don’t know who we’re playing with each and every night. We’re hanging our hat on defense and allowing that to take us to the wins.”

Lakers win a tough game against the Hornets

During their win over the Hornets tonight, the Lakers were playing without Davis, LeBron, Marc Gasol, and Markieff Morris. The Hornets had a few key players missing as well, but the Lakers were also playing the second game of a back-to-back on the road game. So not only did they have to battle the absence of important players but also deal with fatigue.

They didn’t have the best of starts, and the Hornets had a nine-point lead early in the game. But the Lakers kept the pressure on and finished the first half with a two-point lead. In the second half, the Lakers were in control and were leading by double digits. They almost let it slip late in the fourth quarter but won after some crucial shots and defensive stops.

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Lakers’ resilient defensively in LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ absence

When LeBron and AD were playing, they had the best defensive rating. So their absence was bound to affect that as well. But the Lakers have stepped up without them, and under Frank Vogel’s excellent coaching, they have become a fortress.

Even though they might have offensive woes on some nights, their defense has continued to be stellar. This will be huge for them during the playoffs, as they battle the odds to retain their NBA title.

Watch: Hornets Announcers Hilariously Call LeBron James the Head Coach After Arguing With Referees