The Lakers defeated the Hornets 121-111. After the game, Smart accepted interviews with the media.

Talking about Rui Hachimura, Smart said: "I am proud of this 'Samurai' and proud of my brother. He has always performed well on the offensive end, and now seeing him have a breakthrough on the defensive end is great for our entire team. We have known for a long time that he has such abilities, and he knows it."

"Now we are gratified to see him accept the challenge calmly and use his talents to shine on both offense and defense."