D’Angelo Russell came up big for the Los Angeles Lakers yet again on Tuesday night in their 110-106 Play-In victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. The 28-year-old finished with 21 points, which included a clutch trey down the stretch to help lift LA.
Russell was involved in a bit of gamesmanship with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado during the game, which apparently, didn’t do much to throw the Lakers guard off his game.
Los Angeles Lakers News: D’Angelo Russell Reacts to Jose Alvarado’s Antics
At one point in the game, Alvarado was whistled for a technical foul for inciting a confrontation between himself and Russell. The feisty Pelicans guard appears to have nudged his head in the direction of Russell’s face, which prompted a bit of a reaction from the Lakers star:
hthgfxc pic.twitter.com/qeQZRRWtqM
— Crystal Scar (@crystalscarr21) April 17, 2024
After the game, Russell was asked to share his thoughts on Alvarado’s actions during the game. DLo revealed that he knew exactly what his opponent was trying to do, and that it didn’t really bother him. Either way, Russell said that he has nothing but love for Alvarado:
“I was already going before that, so I think he was trying to be calculated and cool me off,” Russell said. “I respect his competition. I respect everything about him. Nothing but love there.”
"That was my main focus, just trying to lock in to what our objective was and to play as hard as I can." D'Angelo Russell (21 PTS, 7 AST) spoke with @LakersReporter following today's win. pic.twitter.com/o8SCu60diQ
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) April 17, 2024
D’Angelo Russell Goes Full Savage on Pelicans Bench
Russell is no stranger to trash-talking himself, and he made sure to blow off some steam after hitting one of the biggest shots of the evening. The former All-Star drained a corner trey right in front of the Pelicans bench to give the Lakers a four-point lead with just 50.3 seconds remaining in the game. Naturally, he just had to let the New Orleans players know what was up:
D'ANGELO RUSSELL!!!!!!!!!
ICE IN HIS VEINS. pic.twitter.com/V1qdE56rlD
— Italo Santana (@BulletClubIta) April 17, 2024
Pure savagery from a dude who has ice in his veins.
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