Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell on Friday silenced his critics for at least one night.
Russell was a one-man offense in the Lakers’ 123-122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
Russell shot a blistering 17/25 from the field and 9/12 from beyond the arc. He also tallied 6 rebounds and 9 assists.
The 1-time All-Star was responsible for 21 of the Lakers’ 27 points in the fourth quarter. He also sank the go-ahead floater with 6 seconds left in the game to put the Lakers up for good.
D'ANGELO MF RUSSELL CLUTCH.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 9, 2024
After the game, Russell was asked about the adversity he’s faced off the court all season. The 1-time All-Star had been the subject of constant trade rumors before the Lakers held on to him at the February trade deadline.
“Public humiliation has done nothing but molded me into the killer that y’all see today. I never lacked confidence. I never fear confrontation. I want all the smoke. I want to talk about it,” said Russell.
“Public humiliation has molded me into the killer that y'all see today. I never lack confidence, I never fear confrontation, I want all the smoke. I want to talk about it.”
D’Angelo Russell after dropping 44 points in a Lakers win over the Bucks 😮💨pic.twitter.com/3AyAL7znaS
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 9, 2024
Russell has made the Lakers look wise for keeping him at the deadline. Over his last 25 games, Russell has averaged 22.8 points and 6.4 assists on 48% shooting from the field and 46% from three.
But despite the monster night from Russell, LeBron James was still the biggest trending topic of the night for his viral moment with Lakers owner Jeanie Buss.
