D’Angelo Russell has been a controversial player that Los Angeles Lakers fans seem to go back and forth on depending on the night.
After a strong preseason, Russell had a rough Opening Night showing that called his fit into question. However, he came up big when the Lakers needed him the most on the second end of a back-to-back set.
Los Angeles narrowly beat the Orlando Magic 106-103 on Monday night and Russell was a large part of the win. On a night when the rest of the Lakers struggled to get into any sort of rhythm, it was Russell who kept the team afloat offensively and ultimately led them to a much-needed victory.
The guard led Los Angeles in scoring with 28 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-6 from distance and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line. He was also the main playmaker during the evening as he recorded eight assists to go along with one steal and one block.
Russell also had the highlight of the night when he drove baseline and dunked over Paolo Banchero.
Aside from Russell, Anthony Davis made his imprint on the game as well as he was the leader on both ends of the floor. Davis had an easy time scoring whenever he caught the basketball deep in the post, while defensively he was his normal elite self contesting shots and discouraging players from even going up.
Davis was right behind Russell with 26 points and he led all players with 19 rebounds. He also had five assists, one steal, and three blocks in a game-high 38 minutes.
LeBron James came into the game as questionable because the team is monitoring his minutes this season, but they ultimately decided to let him play. James understandably looked tired on the floor after playing against the Kings the night before, but he saved his best for the fourth quarter.
James looked much more aggressive offensively and a hit huge 3-pointer later in the fourth quarter to give Los Angeles the lead. James played 33 minutes and scored 19 points as well as went for four rebounds, three assists, three steals and one block.
Gary Harris led the Magic in scoring with 17 points off the bench, shooting a perfect 6-for-6 from the field and 5-for-5 from deep.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers get a day off before playing the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday. They’ll then have the next two days free before they hit the road to take on Orlando for the final time of the regular season.
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