As they beat the Toronto Raptors 122-112 on Friday, the Los Angeles Lakers won their eighth game in their past 11 tries, which could signal a turnaround in their season.
Austin Reaves makes what appears to be a comparison between D’Angelo Russell and Russell Westbrook
In the wake of the Lakers’ victory over the Raptors, guard Austin Reaves seemed to make a passing allusion to a key distinction between Westbrook and Russell.
If they are making a turnaround, it can be linked back to a month ago’s Russell Westbrook trade that brought in D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Malik Beasley.
Due to a sprained ankle, Russell had missed the previous six games, but he came back strong on Friday.
He scored 28 points on 10-of-17 shooting from the field and 5-of-8 from beyond the arc.
In the fourth quarter, when he got red hot and helped ignite a comeback from a large deficit, he became a true thorn in Toronto’s side.
He contributed to Los Angeles by dishing out nine assists and pulling down five boards.
Russell does not play as furiously as Westbrook did with the Lakers, but he still prefer to play fast and create more transition opportunities.
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In this match, the Lakers’ depth shone brightly. They had five players score in double figures, and their bench was tremendous, with points from Rui Hachimura (16), Dennis Schroder (23) and Austin Reaves (18).
Even though Anthony Davis scored only eight points, the Lakers still managed to pull off the victory over the athletically gifted and hard-playing Raptors.
As a team, the Lakers have had a lot of trouble beating the Raptors in recent years, but this was the team’s first home win versus Toronto since 2014.
Since trading for Westbrook, the Lakers have appeared to play with a newfound confidence that has only grown with each victory.
On Sunday, they’ll play home to the surging New York Knicks, who have won nine straight, before jetting off for a fast two-game road trip against the Pelicans and Rockets.
