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Oft-criticized LA Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell impressed in the showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday at home, leading his team to a narrow 123-122 victory.
The 28-year-old 2015 second overall pick exploded for a game-high 44 points, anchored on a career-tying nine 3-pointers, to give the purple and gold a much-needed lift. LeBron James had sat the game out because of recurring ankle issues.
The Lakers got solid contributions from the rest of the active roster but none bigger than what D'Angelo Russell provided in his 38.13 minutes on the floor.
LA started the game slow but eventually got their groove at the midway point of the opening quarter before finishing the frame down 30-27.
In the second quarter, D’Angelo Russell began to exert his will more, taking control of the Lakers’ attack, both in scoring and ball distribution. That paid dividends, as they turned the tables on the Bucks to lead 67-63 at halftime
The back-and-forth continued in the second half. Anthony Davis and Taurean Prince joined forces with ‘DLo’ on both ends in keeping Milwaukee at bay. They continued to have the upper hand, leading 96-90, heading into the payoff quarter.
In the final frame, the two teams stood toe-to-toe. The Bucks kept the game close before taking the lead, 111-110, with 2:53 left from a Giannis Antetokounmpo 15-foot jumper. They extended thekr lead to six points a minute later, 118-112.
D'Angelo Russell then took control as they made a spirited fightback, scoring eight of the Lakers’ last 11 points. The last one turned out to be the game-winner – a 13-foot driving floating jump shot -- with 5.2 seconds left to make it 123-122 in favor of the Lakers.
Milwaukee looked for a possible game-winner of its own. The Bucks went to Damian Lillard, who went for a 22-foot step-back jumper but was blocked by Spencer Dinwiddie to preserve the lead for the Lakers.
Davis finished with 22 points and 13 rebounds to backstop Russell while Austin Reaves had 18 points. Antetokounmpo had a triple-double of 34 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists, with Lillard having 28 points and 12 assists.
The victory was a bounce-back for the Lakers after their tough loss to the Sacramento Kings. It was the second in three games that D'Angelo Russell led the way for the Lakers (35-30).
D'Angelo Russell talks about explosive performance against Bucks
D’Angelo Russell of the LA Lakers capped his solid performance against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday by coming up clutch down the stretch.
The Ohio State product had a ball game, scoring 44 points, punctuated by nine 3-pointers made. Eight of his total points came in the closing moments as the Lakers made a spirited fightback to win.
In the post-game interview with ESPN, Russell spoke about the performance he had, which came as LeBron James sat out the game because of recurring ankle issues. He said:
“I just try everything I can do. Honestly. Scoring, assisting, whatever it may be. Whatever they need from me. Try to put guys in the best position to do what they do. Bron was out and a lot of guys stepped up.”
Check out what he had to say below, beginning at 0:29:
Apart from his game-high 44 points, D'Angelo Russell had nine assists, six rebounds and a block.
