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D'Angelo Russell's hot and cold form in the 2024 NBA Playoffs continued with another shooting struggle in Game 3 vs the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. The guard played 24 minutes and went scoreless, as he ended with just three rebounds and two assists.
The guard was benched after a scoreless first half and was booed by the fans after his shots clattered off the rim.
At one stage of the game, Russell was seen with his game hoodie on and sitting away from the huddle.
Russell was the only Lakers player to go scoreless. The Lakers went down 112-105 and the Nuggets have a 3-0 lead. LA is on the brink of elimination and will have to win Game 4 to stay alive in the competition.
Lakers head coach Darvin Ham backs D'Angelo Russell despite poor show
LA Lakers head coach Darvin Ham continued to back D'Angelo Russell despite his poor outing in Game 3. Ham had previously supported the underfire guard after his dismal performance in Game 1. He labeled it as an "unfortunate" night for the 28-year-old.
“He had some good looks that didn’t go down, just like Game 1. He bounced back in Game 2 and I expect him to bounce back in Game 4.”
The Lakers have a tough task. Since the NBA Playoffs began, 150 teams have faced a 3-0 series deficit in a seven-game playoff series. 15 of those teams have won at least two games while four have won three straight games to force a decisive Game 7. None of the teams, however, have come back to win the series.
The Purple and Gold faced a similar predicament last season in the Western Conference Finals. They were swept 4-0 by the same Nuggets unit and with the momentum completely with the defending champions, LA is possibly looking at a first-round exit this time around.
Should they head into early summer, D'Angelo Russell will again be on the trade block rumors, especially with the front office looking at adding an All-Star guard to the mix.
The teams meet on Saturday (Apr. 27) at 8:30 pm ET at the Crypto.com Arena for Game 4. The focus will be on Russell once again to see if he can redeem himself after a below-par Game 3 performance.
