Russell did great things that helped the Lakers win and set the tone for the rest of the season.

D’Angelo Russell played his best game when he was with the Los Angeles Lakers. He led his team to an unlikely 123–122 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Russell was clearly the best player on the court, it didn’t matter what color shirt he wore. He did everything the Lakers asked of him, including making the game-winning shot.

No LeBron, No Problem

Russell takes over while James sits out

The Lakers didn’t have LeBron James because he hurt his ankle in the last few seconds of their loss to the Sacramento Kings and is still healing. But because their point guard played so well, there was hope that the Lakers’ offense wouldn’t look totally lost on the court. Russell has been playing really well since the trade deadline. Since LeBron James wasn’t there, Russell took his game to a whole new level.

Russell ended the night with 44 points, which was the second-most in his career and the most points scored in a single game during both of his stints with the Lakers. Russell’s work was most impressive because of how well he used his time. He made 68 percent of his shots from the field and an amazing 75 percent from three-point range. He only turned the ball over twice. In the whole game, Russell only went to the free throw line once. This is something that has never happened before in a big NBA game. He faced Damian Lillard, who is known as one of the best point guards of all time, and obviously bεat him.

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By any measure, Lillard had a good game. He scored 28 points and passed the ball 12 times. He had a tough game from the field, hitting just 43% and going 4-12 on three-point shots, even though he passed Reggie Miller for fourth place in all-time three-pointer made. Russell’s main protector at first was Malik Beasley, but that didn’t last long. The Lakers went after Damian Lillard on defense. They used a lot of screen-and-roll moves to put Lillard against Russell, who he easily bεat every time.

Even though Anthony Davis played for 41 minutes, his left shoulder seemed to be bothering him. Davis wasn’t acting like himself for most of the fourth quarter. He didn’t look relaxed on offense or defense. In the past, the Lakers would have given up because they were so dependent on their star players. Russell’s game against the Bucks wasn’t just a career night, though; it’s become the standard for him this year.