Lakers Bounce Back with Convincing Win Over Trail Blazers, D’Angelo Russell Continues to Shine

Los Angeles, CA – The Los Angeles Lakers rebounded from their surprising loss to the Brooklyn Nets two nights prior with a convincing 134-110 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena, fueled by another stellar performance from point guard D’Angelo Russell.

D’Angelo Russell Leads the Charge

Russell put forth a remarkable performance, amassing a team-leading 34 points and eight assists. Since regaining his starting role against Utah last weekend, Russell has been on fire, averaging 27.2 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 54% from three-point range in his last three games.

Against Portland, Russell was particularly effective from beyond the arc, hitting six of his 11 three-point attempts. He also added two highlight plays on the fast break, including a behind-the-back pass fake that fooled Malcolm Brogdon and an alley-oop bounce pass to LeBron James.

“ Just having fun, ” Russell remarked after the game. “ That’s what we all dreamed of doing. You try things in your backyard, never thinking you’d actually get the chance. Throwing a bounce-pass lob to LeBron James in a game, things like that keep you young and enjoying the game. ”

James and Davis Contribute

LeBron James added 28 points for the Lakers, while Anthony Davis had a relatively quiet 14 points and 14 rebounds. Davis was able to rest the entire fourth quarter due to the comfortable lead the Lakers had built.

Fast-Paced Lakers Offense

The Lakers unleashed a season-high 35 fastbreak points on Sunday compared to Portland’s eight. This fast-paced offense proved instrumental in their victory.

Turnaround from Brooklyn Loss

The win over the Trail Blazers was a complete turnaround from Friday’s game against the Nets, where the Lakers initially led by 12 in the first half but ultimately lost by 18.

Lakers’ Record and Upcoming Schedule

With this win, the Lakers improved to 22-22, securing their fifth home win in four games this month. While it’s not the record they had envisioned, the Lakers are taking any and all wins they can get at this point.

Their next game is Tuesday against their cross-town rivals, the Los Angeles Clippers.

Additional Highlights

• Malcolm Brogdon led the Trail Blazers with 23 points and nine assists.
• The Lakers improved to 5-4 at home this month.
• Russell’s recent hot streak has provided the Lakers with a much-needed offensive boost.

Full Article

LOS ANGELES – Perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers learned from their surprising loss to Brooklyn two nights earlier. It certainly seemed that way on Sunday.

The Lakers built a double-digit lead against another struggling team, the Portland Trail Blazers, and this time didn’t let it slip away, securing a 134-110 victory at Crypto.com Arena.

The key to LA’s success? Point guard D’Angelo Russell.

Russell continued his torrid streak with a 34-point, eight-assist effort, helping the Lakers even their record at 22-22. He was particularly effective from three-point range, making six of 11 from deep.

Russell lost his starting job toward the end of a cold-shooting December but was reinserted into the starting lineup last weekend against Utah. He responded with 39 points that night and hasn’t stopped producing since then, averaging 27.2 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 54% from three-point range.

Aside from his six three-pointers, Russell added a pair of highlight plays on the fastbreak against Portland.

Midway through the fourth quarter, he faked a behind-the-back pass to LeBron James that fooled Malcolm Brogdon and allowed Russell to dribble uncontested for an easy layup. Earlier in the game, he and James were alone after a turnover and, though Russell was slightly ahead of James, he bounced the ball off the court so James could grab it in the air and dunk it.

“ Just having fun, ” Russell told Spectrum SportsNet. “ That’s what we all dreamed of doing. We try things in our backyard, never thinking you’d actually get the chance. Throwing a bounce-pass lob to LeBron James in a game, things like that keep you young and enjoying the game. ”

During his slump, Russell was the source of trade rumors with the NBA’s deadline approaching on Feb. 8. However, he said he gained extra perspective after missing a week earlier this month because of a bruised tailbone.

“ Just attack, attack, attack, ” he said. “ When I was out, I got to see what I was missing, where I was missing, so [I’m] trying to find ways to just continue to capitalize and be myself. ”

James, who scored 28 points against Portland, noticed Russell’s recent run.

“ Just being aggressive, looking for his shot. We continue to find try to find him, especially in transition, ” James said. “ He’s just shooting at a high clip right now. It’s definitely really good for our offense. ”

The Lakers had a season-high 35 fastbreak points Sunday while Portland had a mere eight.

The game narrative was an utter turnaround from Friday when the Lakers led Brooklyn by 12 in the first half and somehow ended up losing by 18.

Lakers center Anthony Davis had a relatively quiet 14 points and 14 rebounds against Portland but probably didn’t care. After all, the Lakers got the win, and he rested the entire fourth quarter.

Malcolm Brogdon had 23 points and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who fell to 12-30.

The Lakers improved to 5-4 at home this month during a light travel portion of their schedule. It’s certainly not the record they envisioned, but they’ll secure any and all wins at this point. Their next game is Tuesday against their in-city rival, the Clippers.