LOS ANGELES — Monday night was just what the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t want: a young team coming into town, well-rested and everything, after LA stayed up late the previous night with an overtime loss in Sacramento.

But D’Angelo Russell and Anthony Davis made sure the Lakers put away the bouncy, ever-pesky Orlando Magic, 106-103, at Crypto.com Arena.

Russell overturned a slow start this season with a 28-point effort, while Davis kept pounding out quality games, collecting 26 points and 19 rebounds as the Lakers improved to 2-2.

It wasn’t easy, and there’s plenty of work to be done, but LA won the battle of the final few minutes.

Russell scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, including two key free throws to create a three-point edge with eight seconds left. It got a little crazy from there.

Orlando forward Franz Wagner air-balled a three-point shot, but guard Jalen Suggs grabbed the ball under the basket, quickly dribbled out above the arc, pump-faked and was just short as time expired.

“We’ve got to find a way to win coming off a tough loss [Sunday] night,” Davis told Spectrum SportsNet. “Whatever it takes to get the win, and we did.”

Russell’s first three games this season were off-kilter. He shot only 36.6% and failed to make an impact after a stellar pre-season run.

That changed Monday. He made 10 of 14 shots, an impressive number for a big man, let alone a point guard. He was seven for eight on two-point shots, not afraid to test the waters among the big men in the paint.

“His calm presence offensively, he’s constantly thinking about how he can get an advantage,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said. “He stepped up big time for us tonight. Big time.”

Davis, as usual, stepped up too. He made 12 of 18 shots and added five assists and three blocked shots.

“When guys make shots and play well, it kind of opens up the floor for me,” he said.

It wasn’t flawless. The Lakers had only three offensive rebounds, while Orlando had 12. Austin Reaves scored only 11 points and didn’t play down the stretch yet again.

The shorthanded Lakers went without two of their forwards. Rui Hachimura sat out Monday’s game after getting poked in the eye Sunday against Sacramento. Jarred Vanderbilt hasn’t played this season because of heel bursitis.

It was a good time for Christian Wood to make some noise off the bench. He had nine points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. His rebounding in particular was singled out by Ham.

“Just go get it. That’s it,” Wood said. “That’s my mentality.”

It all helped bring the Lakers back to .500 ahead of Wednesday’s game against the Clippers, who have won 11 consecutive games against the Lakers.

LA trailed at halftime, 58-54, as reserve Orlando guard Gary Harris surprised them with 14 points. He finished with a team-high 17 points.

Orlando won its season opener by 30 points and followed it with a 15-point victory. Granted, the wins came against Houston and Portland, teams not expected to even sniff the playoffs, but the point differentials were still head-turners.

Led by Wagner, 22, and Paolo Banchero, 20, Orlando is building for the future. Maybe it will come more quickly than expected — just not on Monday.

Perhaps Ham said it best: “Tough team to face on the second night of a back-to-back. Happy we pulled it out.”