A 13-foot floater by D’Angleo Russell with just under six seconds left, then a blocked shot by Spencer Dinwiddie off a step-back jumper by Damian Lillard on the game’s final possession were the difference in a thrilling victory of 123-122 of the Lakers. the Bucks Friday night. In a game in which neither team ever led by double digits and then traded blows for most of the 4th quarter, with the Bucks taking a six-point lead with less than two minutes remaining, it was the Lakers who found the determination they needed down the stretch. to emerge victorious.
On a night where the Lakers didn’t have LeBron James, they were going to need one of their other perimeter shot creators to step up and it was Russell who answered the call in a major way. D-Lo scored the most points he has scored as a Laker with a 44-point explosion – including 21 in the 4th quarter – that featured elite shooting from all over the court. He connected on 17 of his 25 field goal attempts, including tying a career-high with nine three-pointers (on 12 attempts), and a bunch of other tough mid-range jumpers and floaters against a solid Bucks defense.
And while all of those points were crucial to the final result, it wasn’t just Russell’s score that made the difference. D-Lo skillfully controlled the tenor and tone of the Lakers’ offensive attack, managing possessions and keeping them organized every time he was on the court. Russell also showed wonderful skill as a playmaker and passer, tallying a team-high nine assists and dropping several other dimes that led to good shots that weren’t not fallen or to fouls committed by his teammates around the basket.
Beyond Russell, Anthony Davis had a solid two-way game with 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocks. Due to a shoulder issue that arose after attempting to take a foul during an open court game against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Davis could be seen working on his shoulder during timeouts and was clearly grimacing as he held his arm low on several possessions. Still, he was a defensive presence in the paint on several possessions late and made his only free throws in the 4th quarter while clearly playing in pain.
Before the shoulder issues, however, Davis more than held up to the Bucks’ frontcourt combination of Giannis and Brook Lopez, challenging shots around the basket defensively while showing good variety with his own offensive attack. AD connected on several mid-range jumpers as his defender sank, but also did well working out of the post, both as a back player, but also turning and facing to create a dribble for a good look.
Joining AD and Russell in double figures was Austin Reaves, who had an efficient scoring night with 18 points on seven-of-12 shooting and two-of-five from behind the arc. Reaves added five rebounds and seven assists, doing well moving the ball in team spacing to find open teammates as the Bucks sold out to protect the paint against AD, Rui Hachimura and Jaxson Hayes when they plunged towards the edge. And when Reaves wasn’t throwing the ball, he was choosing his spots well looking for his own shot to make the defense pay for playing against him or trying to cheat under screens.
Ultimately, although it was a match featuring some wonderful individual performances, it was a total team effort to achieve this victory. The bench players didn’t have big nights from a counting stats standpoint, but the trio of Cam Reddish, Hayes and Taurean Prince all made crucial contributions to the win while also being ready to shoot when the opportunity presented itself. Hayes and Reddish were also involved in the defensive possession that directly preceded Russell’s game-winner, both helping to keep the rebound of a Lillard miss away from Giannis to secure the Lakers’ possession.
And with that kind of effort, the Lakers managed to pull through. They will look to build on this emotional victory when they face the Timberwolves on Sunday.
