“They’re lucky I sprained my ankle,” Lakers’ D’Angelo Russell displays GREAT confidence after torching Raptors in return after injury
D'Angelo Russell is full of confidence as the Lakers rally back to win against the Toronto Raptors as they solidify their push for the playoffs
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D'Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell shines on his return to the starting lineup to give the Los Angeles Lakers their third win in a row on Friday night. Russell dropped 28 points as the Lakers came from behind to win against the Toronto Raptors. “They’re lucky I sprained my ankle. Simple as that. I was ready to go crazy and have fun with this,” said Russell after the game. The Lakers are now just one game behind the sixth seed in the Western Conference, and LeBron James isn’t even back yet.
“Everybody stepped up; everybody held it down. AD (Anthony Davis) been holding it down for us, tonight we tried to hold it down for him,” said D’Angelo Russell. The Los Angeles Lakers had a very efficient night as they shot 100% from the free-throw line and 56% from the field in a gritty win. Anthony Davis did play but only attempted seven shots for 8 points as the rest of the team showed up.
The Lakers are 4-1 with D’Angelo Russell this season, and their trade deadline deals are starting to prove their worth. However, Russell was the show’s star, scoring 14 points in the 4th quarter alone to ice the game and give LA the win. Russell was drafted by the Lakers and has come a long way since being traded and hopping across teams around the league.
The Los Angeles Lakers finally look like a playoff team with D’Angelo Russell back
The Lakers have had the #1 ranked defense in the entire NBA since the trade deadline and are 8-3. Anthony Davis’ inspired performances have been the headline of this Lakers revival. Additionally, the new signings since the trade deadline have proven critical to their defensive improvement. Jarred Vanderbilt and D’Angelo Russell have both been lockdown defenders since the break.
The Lakers missed the playoffs last year and looked like they would this year, too while Russell Westbrook was still on the team. Since getting fresh faces in, LA has a newfound spirit and will be a scary sight for any playoff team. To add to their joy, LeBron James will look to be back by April, which would significantly boost their playoff odds as the King has only lost in the first round of a playoff series once.
Rob Pelinka must be very proud of his work in putting together this roster after the scrutiny he faced for missing out on Kyrie Irving. The Lakers have 15 games left in their season and are finding form at the perfect time as the teams around them are starting to falter. The Dallas Mavericks are without Luka Doncic, and the Phoenix Suns are without Kevin Durant. Now is one of the best times to be a Lakers fan since 2021.
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Anuj Shrikanth Iyer
(290 Articles Published)