A bounce back that screams Doncic

He highlights 38-point night with big dunk to help Lakers get turnaround win

- BY THỤC NHI NGUYEN

LUKA DONCIC gets pumped up in a win over the Hornets on Monday. JJ Redick said it was fun to see his star "letting out some emotion."

(CHRIS CARLSON Associated Press)

For once, Luka Doncic had to serve the punishment. For not hitting any half-court shots during his pregame warmup, Doncic had to drop to the court and give his coaching staff push-ups.

The exercise seemingly powered him up for the two-handed dunk to come.

Doncic dazzled in the Lakers' 121-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday at Spectrum Center, scoring 38 points with seven assists, six rebounds and one emphatic third-quarter dunk to help the Lakers flush the memories of a blowout loss in Atlanta.

"It was fun, not only because he got the dunk," coach JJ Redick said, "but just him letting out some emotion."

Doncic exorcised the demons of a 20-point loss to Atlanta on Saturday in which the Lakers (8-3) led for only 19 seconds and pulled the starters before the third quarter. He spent the majority of that game bickering with officials. He missed six three-pointers and had five turnovers.

On Monday, Doncic was back to joking with Austin Reaves about who had the better deadball three-quarters-court heave after Reaves returned from a three-game absence with 24 points and seven assists.