D’Angelo Russell delivered a stunning performance in his comeback game for the LA Lakers, defeating Raptors in a crucial match.
Los Angeles Lakers played a crucial game against the Toronto Raptors on Friday night. The Lakers are on the edge of playoff elimination, and hence they badly needed this win against the Raptors. However, the lineup missed the services of their star leader, LeBron James, who is out on the bench for three weeks due to a right foot tendon injury.
In the meantime, the onus shifted to Anthony Davis and the newly added young guns to take charge of the team. D’Angelo Russell, who missed five consecutive games due to a sprained ankle, finally made a much-anticipated comeback. On top of that, the point guard took charge of Davis and led the team from the front. At the end of the game, he delivered a strong message to warn the rivals of what was coming next.
D’Angelo Russell Delivers A Fiery Message After Thumping Win Over Raptors
In his return to the Crypto Arena, point guard D’Angelo Russell led his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers, to a 122-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Russell scored a team-high 28 points and added nine assists and five rebounds in a strong performance that showed why the Lakers traded for him this season. He was making a comeback after missing out on five consecutive games due to a sprained ankle. On top of that, he had added responsibility on his shoulder due to the absence of LeBron James.
After the game, D’Angelo Russell spoke to the media and sent out a strong message to the opposition. He said the rival teams are lucky that he sprained his ankle because he was all pumped up to go on a rampage on the court to lead the Lakers into the playoffs. The point guard further acknowledged Anthony Davis’ efforts from the past few games and said it’s time that we gave him some rest and returned the favor by taking charge of the team. Russell further added that with this new lineup, the sky is the limit for the Lakers, and they all are ready to embrace the pressure and challenges going forward in the tournament.
Anthony Davis Takes A Backseat As The Young Guns Step Up
Ever since LeBron James’ season-ending injury, Anthony Davis has toiled hard to lead the team in each and every game. He delivered consecutive 35+ points games to help the Lakers pile up a few additional points on the Western Conference table. However, in the game against the Raptors, the young guns decided to step up and asked AD to take a backseat.
D’Angelo Russell emerged as the leading point-getter in his comeback game with 28 points. Moreover, Jarred Vanderbilt, Austin Reaves, Dennis Schroder, and Rui Hachimura added 16, 18, 23, and 16 points, respectively, and sealed the game for the Lakers with a final scoreline of 122-112. With this, the Lakers move 9th on the table and just need one more level up to reach the play-ins.
