D’Angelo Russell is likely unhappy with the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss to the Denver Nuggets on Saturday. The fact that he didn’t play in some crucial minutes in the fourth quarter might have also frustrated him.
It may appear that way due to his recent social media post after the contest.
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The Lakers had an opportunity to reward LeBron James with a win to accompany the superstar’s incredible milestone of hitting 40,000 career points. He achieved the feat early in the second quarter, as the team was on its way to building an eight-point lead at intermission.
LEBRON JAMES HITS 40,000 POINTS 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jXHxtMuGQs
— Ahn Fire Digital (@AhnFireDigital) March 3, 2024
However, the Nuggets fought back in the third quarter, managing to tie the contest 89-89 entering the fourth stanza. It was all Denver in the final period, as the defending champion outscored the host 35-25.
Los Angeles could have used more offense in crunch time, but Russell was taken off the court at the 7:47 mark of the final quarter. At that point, the Lakers were trailing by just one point, 99-98. By the time he was subbed in with 1:34 left in the game, the Nuggets’ lead had ballooned to 119-112.
The 28-year-old point guard finished the evening with 17 points on 6-for-13 shooting. Interestingly, he was one of only two players from the Purple and Gold who had a positive plus/minus on Saturday. He was a plus-2, while Jaxson Hayes was a plus-1 in nine minutes of action.
Unfortunately, the loss pushed Los Angeles down further in the standings. Carrying a 33-29 record, it is currently 10th in the Western Conference. It is also three games behind the sixth-seeded Phoenix Suns, which shows that an outright playoff berth is still in play, although time is running out for the squad.
A bit of drama might also be unfolding within the organization. In addition to benching Russell in the fourth period of the Nuggets match, Lakers coach Darvin Ham has also been criticized by some folks because of his supposed ill-advised decisions. James has even reportedly overridden some of Ham’s playcalling in favor of his own plays.
The second-year coach’s future with the Lakers could reportedly be defined by the Lakers’ results this month. So, a lot is hanging on whether or not Ham can turn things around for the squad.
