In his postgame news conference, Los Angeles Lakers starting point guard D’Angelo Russell focused on his teammates. Russell had just completed another outstanding performance, a 29-point masterpiece that tied a career high, against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.

Thanks to Russellon’s 10-for-18 shooting from the field and 1-for-2 from the charity line, D-Lo was able to score 29 points. Along with that, he had one tҺeft, two shot blocks, and four assists.

Joined on the podium by backcourt mate Austin Reaves, who contributed 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field and 4-of-4 from the foul line, along with three rebounds and eight assists, Russell took a moment to acknowledge reserve forward Jarred Vanderbilt, who scored 17 points (his career high) while snatching up multiple Bulls throughout the game.

The Sporting Tribune’s Lauren Jones reports that Russell cut the conversation off and asked, “How about Vando tonight?”

In Reaves’s opinion, he ought to be here rather than me.

Vanderbilt put up 17 points in 26 minutes and 50 seconds off the bench, which is the longest time ever for a reserve. He shot 8 for 11 from the field, including 1 for 1 from beyond the arc! He also grabbed 5 rebounds, swiped 3 steals, and blocked 1 shot.

With the 141–132 victory, the Lakers moved up to 23–23, putting them in.500 position, while Chicago fell to 21–25.