D’Angelo Russell kept rolling after leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a win Tuesday, snapping a six-game losing streak.
It’s not that often that Los Angeles Lakers fans have tasted the sweet juices of victory, and for one night, the team’s cup runneth over.
The Milwaukee Bucks came in town after putting a stop to the Golden State Warriors’ historic winning streak. As usual, many favored the Bucks to run away with a win, fueled by their roster of young guns.
On this night though, it was the continued maturation of one of L.A.’s own neophyte that propelled the team to an unlikely dominant performance in D’Angelo Russell. The Lakers defeated the Bucks 113-95, capturing their fourth victory on the season and securing tacos for the home fans by keeping their opponent under 100 points.
Despite a demotion back to the bench in the wake of Jordan Clarkson’s return from injury, Russell came into the game with a noticeable pep to his step. Right from his entrance, he put imprints on the game with playmaking. This first quarter dime that led to a Julius Randle slam was too ill to even put in words, but it was done anyway:
D'Angelo Russell's latest pass to Julius Randle is not safe for workhttps://t.co/3Ho61fQNLGhttps://t.co/rEy1tNGbmZ
— Silver Screen and Roll (@LakersSBN) December 16, 2015
From that point on, Russell continued a nearly flawless performance distributing the basketball. He finished with a career-high of seven assists on the night to just one turnover.
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To add to the playmaking, Russell shot the ball incredibly well at 53.8 percent from the field. The entire performance filled the stat sheet at 19 points, seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. It’s safe to say that Russell is responding to his benching in a major way.
Russell has scored in double-figures in four straight games, averaging 19.5 points per game on 48 percent shooting. He’s also had three or more assists in each of those appearances. The one thing that Russell has shown over the last few games is more confidence and comfort. Whether that’s due to showing why he should be a starter or just better preparation, Russell is clearly stepping up his game.
The team has to love his renewed aggression. During his four-game hot streak, he’s attempted 10 or more shots in each one. This kind of activity means Russell is showing the team that he can be relied on for scoring, and this means good things for his potential to lead a squad. Leadership is one of the many tools that he continues to sharpen in his first season.
Russell said in the walk off on @TWCSportsNet that he's working on becoming a leader, no doubt a challenge at age 19 in the NBA.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) December 16, 2015
As one of the heralded pieces of the rebuilding franchise, Russell will look to build on these big nights. There won’t always be sun shining during every matchup, but what Russell must take away from this one is critical.
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The imprint that he put all over the court is something that can be felt in a win or loss. For the Lakers, they are hoping that the feeling is reserved for the former and not the latter most of the time.