CHARLOTTE, N.C. — To Lakers coach JJ Redick, Monday night’s road game against the Charlotte Hornets was about more than the result.

It was an opportunity for his team to get back to “playing Lakers basketball” after he found himself coaching an unrecognizable team in their first blowout loss of the season against the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday .

And the Lakers, boosted by the return of star guard Austin Reaves, looked more like themselves on Monday after a slow start, beating the Hornets, 121-111, at Spectrum Center.

There was Luka Doncic (38 points, seven assists, six rebounds) raining in stepback 3-pointers against a variety of Hornets players.

There was Reaves (24 points, seven assists, five rebounds and a pair of steals), who was back after sitting out three games because of a gro

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