The win moved the Bobcats (29-31) to within a game of the Miami Heat for the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference.
Stephen Jackson led the Bobcats with 21 points, as Charlotte won for the first time in three games and handed the Lakers only their third back-to-back loss of the season.
“We played with confidence and we didn’t back down,” Jackson told reporters. “I think we were the more aggressive team tonight. I wish we could play against good teams like that every night, maybe we would bring the energy and the fire that we need.
“Tonight we hit on all cylinders and we followed our game plan and that’s why we got the win.”
The Bobcats’ bench scored 40 points, including 14 from recently acquired Tyrus Thomas and 12 from D.J. Augustin.
“He’s so long and athletic, and he cares about winning,” said Bobcats coach Larry Brown about Thomas. “He reminds me a lot of Gerald Wallace in terms of attitude; they both want to get better. That shot-blocking changes a lot of things. There aren’t as many easy shots, and we’re going after shots and that helps.”
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 26 points but the Lakers struggled from the floor, hitting just 36 percent of their shots including just three of 18 from three-point range.
Andrew Bynum had 14 points for the Lakers and Jordan Farmar had 12 off the bench. Starters Ron Artest and Derek Fisher combined for just five points.
Charlotte, now 21-8 at home, are one of just two teams with winning records against the Lakers, and are now 7-2 in their all-time series. The Celtics are the other team with a winning record against LA.
“They play with a lot of energy. They play their game and we seem like we try to play their game, which they’re really good at,” said the Lakers’ Pau Gasol.
“We are going away from our strengths, and we have no rhythm and no confidence in what we are doing out there.”
