After knowing right away that the Lakers weren’t going to win on Saturday against Atlanta, the opening minutes of Monday’s game against the Hornets were going to be notable.

While it wasn’t a “blow you away” type of performance from LA, it was a far more serious approach. Impressively — and improbably — it was the third quarter where the Lakers broke the game open.

Against another young team that has a fast offense and was shorthanded, the Lakers withstood a late rally and earned a nice bounceback win.

So, let’s dive into the victory. As always, grades are based on expectations for each player. A “B” grade represents the average performance for that player.

Luka Dončić

38 minutes, 38 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers, 4 fouls, 14-28 FG, 5-15 3PT, 5-5 FT, +16

What a

See Full Page