Lakers lifted by return of D’Angelo Russell in win over Raptors.
LOS ANGELES — The Lakers continued their momentum on Friday with their third straight win, beating the Toronto Raptors 122–112 behind a big night from D’Angelo Russell to move their record to 33–34.
In his first game back after missing five straight games due to an ankle sprain, Russell brought instant firepower and even fun to the Lakers offense that's been lacking since his absence with a deadly pull-up threat, hitting multiple pull-up threes in transition late in the fourth quarter to lift the Lakers to victory.
“I just want to bring that fun back to this organization, bring that laughing factor, bring all of that, and let it translate on the floor,” said Russell.
Russell finished with a team-high 28 points on 5-for-8 (62%) shooting from three and 10-for-17 (58%) shooting overall, notching nine assists, five rebounds, and a steal in 31 minutes.
On a night where the Raptors did everything they could to smother Anthony Davis and keep him from scoring, the Lakers needed a player like Russell, who took the pressure off Davis from needing a big night to give them the win as Davis finished with just 8 points on seven shot attempts.
Dennis Schröder, who was the starting point guard in Russell’s absence, continued his success off the bench for the Lakers as the backup ball handler, scoring second on the team with 23 points on 3-for-6 (50%) shooting from deep, adding seven assists and four steals in 33 minutes.
Austin Reaves’ presence has been unsung throughout the Lakers' second half of the season, which has given them a spark off the bench when he’s on the floor with anyone. Reaves finished with 18 points on 60% shooting from the field with five assists, two steals, and a block in 32 minutes.
Rui Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt were other pieces that gave the Lakers incredible flexibility in the rotation, with both scoring 16 points each.
Vanderbilt knocked down two threes on four attempts from three, going 5-for-7 from the field with four rebounds, two steals, and an assist in 30 minutes.
Hachimura finished with 77% from the floor on 7-for-9 shooting, with three rebounds and an assist in 19 minutes off the bench.
With the injury to Mo Bamba, who is sidelined for the next four weeks with an ankle injury, the Lakers looked to Wenyen Gabriel as the backup center for Davis, providing tremendous energy to the defense with three blocks and four rebounds with a plus/minus of +19.
The Lakers’ next matchup comes on Sunday at home against the New York Knicks at 6:00 p.m. on Spectrum SportsNet and ESPN.
