After a deflating loss to the Denver Nuggets, the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back and beat the Western Conference leaders, the Oklahoma City Thunder, 114-104 at Crypto.com Arena on Monday. LeBron James scored 19 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished eight assists, while Anthony Davis scored 24 points, 12 boards, and four assists, to help the Lakers secure a critical win. While their superstar duo had excellent outings, guard D’Angelo Russell was the star of the show for the home team.
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Russell scored a game-high 26 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished three assists, and recorded four steals in a stellar performance. He shot 9-of-17 from the field, including 5-of-11 from beyond the arc, deviating from his facilitator role to provide a solid scoring show while on the floor.
Post-game, the veteran guard told a reporter that he believed his teammates could create open looks for him, especially when his hand his hot. The interviewer brought up the fact that D’Lo has been getting hot from the three-point line in recent games and today was no exception. Claiming to enjoy these hot hand stretches, the veteran guard said,
“My teammates find me when I’m hot. I think for me, it makes it easier when I can stretch the floor like that. It allows the lane to open up a little more. I mean, that’s what shooting does. It’s a pleasure.”
Since his season-high 39-point performance against the Utah Jazz in January, Russell has scored over 25 points in eight of his 22 appearances, an impressive feat considering he’s the third option on offense for the Lakers. In those eight games, the Lakers are 7-1, proving Russell’s point about him shooting well elevating his team’s offense and helping his teammate get easy scoring opportunities. Russell’s scoring bursts are irregular, but the Lakers are difficult to contain when they do happen.
However, Russell added something that might concern some fans. When asked about the Lakers’ standings in the West, D’Lo said, “I know it’s close. I don’t keep up with it honestly.” While taking one game at a time could be an effective strategy, a lack of awareness of the standings might not be the way to go for the Lakers, considering they are struggling for a play-in spot at the moment.
The Lakers continue to fight for a playoff spot
The Lakers’ win over OKC and the Boston Celtics’ 52-point thumping of the Golden State Warriors saw LA climb to the ninth place in the Western Conference standings. The Lakers are 7-3 over their last ten games but haven’t moved above ninth in the standings. On the contrary, the Warriors’ exceptional 13-4 record over their last 17 games has left them in danger of slipping to tenth.
The Lakers and Warriors have swapped ninth and tenth place multiple times over the past two weeks. However, they are within 3.5 games of the fifth-placed New Orleans Pelicans. If they continue their sensational recent form, they could head into the final week of the regular season with a chance of avoiding the play-in tournament and finishing in the top six of the Western Conference.
The Lakers’ winning formula was on display yesterday. They need to ensure D’Angelo Russell contributes as a shooter and isn’t limited to being a facilitator. With James on the team, the Lakers can defer ball-handling duties to the veteran to allow their guard to play more freely and shoot more often to stretch defenses and create gaps for the four-time MVP and Anthony Davis to exploit. The Lakers need consistency from Russell as a scorer. They could be a shooting for another deep run in the playoffs if the guard can score well.
