Despite not having LeBron James in the starting lineup, the Lakers defeated the Bucks on Friday to record their 11th victory in their previous 16 games. The victory was greatly influenced by guard D’Angelo Russell, who scored a career-high 44 points.
Head coach Darvin Ham commented, “That’s D-Lo man, just playmaking, constantly thinking the game,” as reported by Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. When I told him to take over the game, he did as I said. Stay aggressive, I instructed him in the first half. You must be combative the whole evening. And he carried it out.
This season, he’s averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, and a career-high 42.4% of his 6.7 three-pointers made per game.
“Being hot adds a little extra excitement to what I’ve always felt like I could do on the floor,” Russell remarked. “Off the floor, it’s evident that you are all aware of my experiences. All that public humiliation has done is shape me into the killer you all perceive me as today. I’m always confident. I don’t ever fear conflict. All the smoke, please. I simply have faith in my abilities to contribute to the basketball game, so I feel secure in any place I enter.
Russell was re-signed by the Lakers in the summer, and he has a $18.7 million player option for the following campaign. At the deadline, Los Angeles considered trading for a guard, but rumors circulated that Russell was worth more to them than to other teams. It would be fascinating to see how other clubs evaluate him, given he is averaging 21.6 points after the deadline.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
After the Lakers’ victory against Milwaukee, star big Anthony Davis revealed he “couldn’t really move” his left shoulder, according ESPN’s Malika Andrews (Twitter link). Ham stated that after being assessed by the medical team, he will receive an update later on Saturday. Davis has played in 61 of Los Angeles’ 65 games this season, averaging 24.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks.
Before narrowly defeating a Spurs team without Victor Wembanyama on Thursday, the Kings trounced the Lakers in a commanding way on Wednesday. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Sacramento’s season has been characterized by this kind of unpredictability. The Kings are battling to escape the play-in round compared to their No. 3-seeded standing last year, despite the fact that the difference in win percentage between this squad and the one that ended a 16-year postseason drought is only.004. Amick notes that the Kings, who have demonstrated their ability to compete with the elite, have lost at home to Charlotte and Portland, among many other opportunities that were lost.
Amick notes in the same report that Wolves player Jaden McDaniels recently sent the Kings something for their bulletin board following Sacramento’s overtime victory against Minnesota on March 1. After the game, McDaniels expressed his confidence that his side could beat the Kings four times in a row if they faced off. Malik Monk addressed McDaniels’ assertions. “I don’t think [the Timberwolves] can talk, because they haven’t won a playoff series [since 2004].” said Monk. “Basically, they’re in the same boat as us. You can’t really speak since neither them nor we have won a playoff series [since 2004]. However, that’s just him being a rival.
When the Suns play the Celtics on Saturday, they’ll begin what might be a pivotal stretch of the season. The 37-26 Suns play the Celtics twice in three games, starting on March 11 in Cleveland and the Bucks at Milwaukee on March 17, according to Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic. Star guard Devin Booker is recovering from an injury; according to Rankin, he played on the floor for the first time on Friday. Nevertheless, Booker is labeled as doubtful for Saturday’s game against Boston. Before this Saturday’s schedule of games, the Suns are 0.5 games ahead of the Kings for sixth place in the West.
