LeBron James' first season with the Los Angeles Lakers didn't exactly go as planned. As the regular season winds down with the four-time MVP missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005, though, those unfortunate circumstances haven't kept him from enjoying himself.

Case in point: James, along with Lonzo Ball, breaking out the air guitar on the Lakers' bench in celebration of a corner by three by the NBA's favorite miming musician himself, Lance Stephenson.

This is hardly the only time James was smiling on Friday night.

Despite playing without both Ball and Brandon Ingram, out for the season's remainder, against a team fighting for its playoff life, Los Angeles put together one of its most impressive performances of the season's second half, beating the Charlotte Hornets 129-115. James scored a game-high 27 points, doled out nine assists, and had it dialed in from beyond the arc, going 4-of-7 on threes. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 25 points for the Lakers on 8-of-14 shooting, while Kyle Kuzma chipped in 20 points. Stephenson, meanwhile, had 14 points, pacing a strong effort from Los Angeles' bench.

James, whose physical therapist recently said should have needed six months to properly recover from the groin injury he suffered on Christmas, is now averaging 29.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 9.8 assists on 50 percent shooting in March.