D’Angelo Russell has been a revelation for the Los Angeles Lakers since returning to the team in last February. They were in deep trouble when he joined this season. But it did not take long enough for D’Lo to become an integral part of the team. Since then, the players who came in via the February trades have played an essential role in seeing the Lakers make the postseason.
The point guard has proved himself to be an expert three-pointer shooter. D’Angelo Russell has single-handedly won the Lakers a few games. The Lakers, with a new bunch of players, have done a great job of reaching the Western Conference Finals. But they are now in deep trouble as the top-seed Nuggets have gained a 2-0 lead. The two games in Denver saw a pretty close and tight finish. And in Game 2, D’Lo created controversy while trying to block Jamal Murray.
D’Angelo Russell Ignited Twitter With Controversial Foul On Murray
In Game 1, the Nuggets destroyed the Lakers, and fair square won by 132-126. And once again, in Game 2, the Lakers lost to the Jokic-led team by 103-108. However, in Game 2, D’Angelo Russell made headlines with a flagrant foul on Jamal Murray. People have been talking about that foul on social media, with some supporting it and others not so much. D’Lo tried to save two points when he accidentally hit Jamal’s face and upper body. The referee called that a flagrant foul. But for the team and the fans, it was not. As a result, fans are flooding social media, debating on D’Lo’s foul. Some fans could not believe the referee’s decision as they expected Russell to get a more grave punishment.
D-Lo with the hard foul on Jamal Murray in transition.
— ESPN (@espn) May 19, 2023
He received a Flagrant 1 on the play. pic.twitter.com/InOAj9uPfI
Soft
— Draymond Green (@Money23Green) May 19, 2023
Didn’t Russell make contact with Murray’s face?
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) May 19, 2023
Wow. 👀Flagrant 1 ? That’s crazy. Mark Jackson said it best. There’s always a wind up if you’re trying to stop somebody.
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) May 19, 2023
He played after all.
I don’t have a dog in the fight but that’s wild.
Not tryna sound like the old dude in the room either.
Fans are calling for a flagrant on Russell for contesting Murray's layup, it's getting reviewed but it didn't look like anything
— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) May 19, 2023
On the other hand, Warriors’ star Draymond Green sarcastically commented on the issue, saying, “Soft.” People are arguing over whether the foul was legit or not and questioning the referee’s call more than anything. But, D’Angelo Russell must be careful henceforth in the series as a lot will depend on him about the Lakers’ chances in this series and if they make the NBA finals. Apparently, they are trying to figure out a way to save themselves from elimination. The LA side won’t get knocked out if they lose the next game on Saturday. But the pressure will increase a lot more if the Nuggets gain a 3-0 lead. So, in the next game, the Lakers must take advantage of home court as the Nuggets did in the first two games.
Can Lakers Maintain Their Dominance At Home In The Next Game?
Throughout the playoffs this season, the Los Angeles Lakers have dominated at home with a 7-0 record. They won Rounds 1 & 2 with a 4-2 result against the second-seed Grizzlies and the defending champions, the Warriors. In both the series, the squad won the first game in the last two series. But in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers could not maintain their habit of a good start. The force of LeBron James and Anthony Davis have not been very successful yet in this series.
Instead, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have enjoyed the upper hand in this series as they dominated so far. Although, in Game 2, LeBron James and Rui Hachimura looked in good form. But Murray took the match away from the Lakers with consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets and Murray also got some chances for free throws. Most of those free throws got in at the last minute, helping the Nuggets get a 2-0 lead this series.