D’Angelo Russell had one of the best games of his young career on Thursday night. The Los Angeles Lakers point guard has had an up and down rookie season, but the second overall pick has mostly turned the corner for the past month or so of the season. Against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday, Russell showcased his play in front of a national TV audience.
Russell keyed a Lakers comeback that fell just short as the team lost 118 to 115. However, the Lakers were able to overcome a 28 point deficit, largely through the phenomenal play of Russell, especially in the fourth quarter. The rookie had a career-high 27 points on 11-16 shooting and added four assists, two rebounds, and two steals. In a game in which the Lakers were down 28 points, D’Angelo was a +28. In short, the rook had a pretty great game. If you ask him, however, this is nowhere near how good he can be:
D'Angelo Russell on his big game: "Y'all ain't seen nothing yet."
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) January 8, 2016
As a Lakers fan, this makes me feel tingly inside. Russell is clearly ready for the challenge of inheriting the role of being the superstar on this Lakers team and after putting together some great games, including this one, he seems to be oozing with confidence. That is a great sign for the 19-year-old and he should be able to build on this.
Unfortunately, it was not all great for Russell during this game. Late in the fourth quarter, Russell drove to the rim and finished a tough lay-up over DeMarcus Cousins, but not before turning his ankle on the jump. D’Angelo attempted to come back in the game but was unable to move well and was forced to finish the game off the court. The rookie certainly felt that he could have contributed down the stretch of the close game had he not been hurt:
D'Angelo mad he couldn't finish: "I was hot. If I wouldn't have went down, I probably would have hit some bogus shot and we would have won."
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 8, 2016
Honestly, with the way he was playing late in the game, it’s hard to disagree. Of course, it’s all a moot point as the Lakers were unable to complete their monumental comeback. Luckily, X-Rays from Russell’s injury came back negative and he should be fine soon enough. That means a return to his sneaky great season.
