It wasn’t easy, but the Lakers extended their winning streak to five by defeating the Pelicans 104-99 along the way.

Brandon Ingram had a game against his former team, scoring 32 points and pushing Los Angeles to the brink, but they won the game thanks to some shots from LeBron James down the stretch.

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

Anthony Davis

37 minutes, 31 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 12-20 FG, 2-4 3PT, 5-7 FT, +2

Are 30-point games the new norm for AD? If so, sign me up. In a game where the Lakers struggled to crash the boards and produce offensively, Davis was able to do both very well. He had 31 points and 14 rebounds and did it back-to-back while dealing with an eye injury and plantar fasciitis. AD was world class and a big reason why the Lakers won on the road.

Grade: A

Le Bron James

37 minutes, 21 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 8-19 FG, 2-7 3PT, 3-5 FT, +1

LeBron had a hilarious game on Saturday, going scoreless in the first and third quarters but scoring 10 in the second and 11 in the fourth.

This was definitely a game where James sleepwalked big time, which hurt the team. He had six turnovers and his defense fluctuated from poor to non-existent.

However, he reminded everyone in the clutch that he’s still that guy. He hit back-to-back threes to turn a one-point deficit into a four-point lead.

The Lakers never trailed again and won the game thanks to these late-game heroics. So while a more balanced game from James is desirable and ideal, ultimately he was great when it mattered most.

Grade: B+

Dalton Knecht

37 minutes, 27 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 10-17 FG, 5-10 3PT, 2-2 FT, +11

With the Lakers retaining their 2024 first-round pick, they needed to draft an impact player. Dalton Knecht is exactly that and Saturday’s game is another example of why.

He went nuclear from deep, converting on five three-pointers, finishing strong at the rim with a nice two-handed jam and finishing the night with a career-high 27 points. Knecht did a good job crashing the boards with seven rebounds and was respectable defensively.

This was his second start, but the more Knecht plays, the better he looks. It appears the Lakers have drafted the shooter they were looking for.

Grade: A+

Max Christie

30 minutes, 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, 1 block, 1-6 FG, 0-3 3PT, +1

After a great game against the Spurs on Friday, Christie had an average game against the Pelicans. The defensive effort was great and he was positive overall, but he struggled shooting and was 1-6 from the field.

During this short road trip, Christie has shown that he deserves more playing time, but his case for a return to the rotation wouldn’t include much film from this game.

Grade: C+

Austin Reaves

41 minutes, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 3-15 FG, 2-9 3PT, 2-2 FT, +9

It was a tough shooting night for Reaves on Saturday. He still had an impact on the win with his passing and even when he misses he continues to take good shots. However, you expect more from Reaves at this point, especially with the key players out.

Grade: C-

D’Angelo Russell

21 minutes, 7 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists, 1 steal, 2-5 FG, 1-3 3PT, 2-2 FT, +9

Russell was respectable in his role against the Pelicans. He didn’t take many shots and had some quality minutes in the first half, calming the team down when they were struggling offensively.

He scored seven points off the bench, which was a team high.

Grade: C

Gabe Vincent

22 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 0-2 FG, 0-2 3PT, -9

Vincent should no longer get rotation minutes with this team. Los Angeles struggles to score off the bench and he doesn’t commit offense. He wants to be good defensively, but his size makes him less effective on that side of the ball than Christie.

What Vincent brings does not justify what he misses. Lakers coach JJ Redick has done a good job making changes when necessary, but sidelining Vincent is long overdue.

Grade: F

Christian Koloko

11 minutes, 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block, 3-4 FG, 0-1 3PT, +3

What’s not to like about Koloko’s match on Saturday? He protected the rim well, had a nice block, was aggressive on the boards and made three field goals in his eleven minutes of play.

Koloko has had very little time to prepare for action after the NBA medically cleared him to play and he has done much better than anyone expected.

Grade: A

Armel Traore

With the Lakers trailing 23-14, Redick went to Traore to see what he could offer. He only played four minutes, so no grade considering how little there is to assess in that time.

Traore made an airball on a three-pointer, which was rough, but again, it was just a shift during a tough spot in the game.

JJ Redick

Putting aside my distaste for every minute Vincent plays, Redick was good on Saturday. He had the courage to start with a new starting five and worked very well on his bench. His timeouts were made when they were needed.

The challenge he made early on was pointless and the technical foul he received can be seen as a negative. However, that seemed more like something he did to get calls for his team.

Quality: A-

Saturday’s DNPs: Bronny James, Maxwell Lewis

Saturday’s inactives: Rui Hachimura, Jalen Hood-Schifino, Quincy Olivari, Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, Jaxson Hayes, Cam Reddish

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.