On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers, with a record of 22 wins and 22 losses, faced off against the struggling Portland Trail Blazers, who had a record of 12 wins and 30 losses. Following a disappointing 130-112 home defeat against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday, the Lakers were eager for redemption. They achieved just that by securing a convincing 134-110 victory over the Blazers.

The standout performer of the night was D’Angelo Russell, who delivered an impressive performance with 34 points and eight assists. Russell showcased remarkable accuracy, shooting 66.7% from the field, making 14 of his 21 attempts. Furthermore, he demonstrated proficiency from beyond the arc, connecting on 54.5% of his three-point shots, hitting 6 out of 11 attempts.

After the win, both LeBron James and Anthony Davis gave props to Russell for his performance, according to Ryan Ward. He posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) “Anthony Davis on D’Angelo Russell’s improved play: “He’s playing free. He’s being DLo. I mean, we know how good of a scorer he is.” 

In a separate post, he also added Bron’s response to DLo’s performance writing, “LBJ on DLo: “I mean, his skill set is obvious. His ball handling is very shifty & very nonchalant, but he is always trying to keep guys off balance w/ his game. It’s slow to quick. He keeps you guys off balance. That move-in transition was pretty damn good. … That was dope.”

He shared that Russell has been playing “aggressively looking for a shot.” Even D’Lo himself has noted the shift in his attitude while playing and mentions it in the post-game interview.

D’Angelo Russell’s assessment of himself

D’Angelo Russell has openly discussed the adjustments he’s implemented in both his playing style and mindset, contributing significantly to the Lakers’ success since he took on the starting point guard role. Over his recent five-game stretch, Russell has showcased impressive statistics, averaging 27.2 points, 6.4 assists, and 2.2 rebounds per game. Notably, he has excelled in three-point shooting, making an average of 4.4 shots at a remarkable 55% accuracy, while maintaining a perfect free throw percentage. He said his mentality has been to “attack attack attack”.

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The Lakers have experienced positive outcomes during this period, winning three out of five games with Russell on the floor and boasting a net +30 in his favor. Russell’s offensive contributions are reflected in his outstanding 131.2 offensive rating, contributing to the team’s improved overall performance. The Lakers’ net rating has seen a noteworthy upswing from their season average of -0.8 to a current +4.6, primarily driven by a surge in offensive rating from 113.4 to an impressive 121.8. With this win, can LA go to the playoffs?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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