Getty Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers
On March 10, the Los Angeles Lakers added another victory to their season tally as they defeated the Toronto Raptors 112-122.
Throughout the game, Anthony Davis was uncharacteristically quiet on the offensive end, scoring just 8 points on 7 shot attempts; however, the superstar chose to operate in more of a connector role, allowing his teammates to thrive off the scoring gravity he possesses.
When speaking to the media following the game, D’Angelo Russell took an opportunity to discuss Davis’ selfless play and credited him for allowing his teammates to thrive throughout the contest.
“He’s selfless, to be that good…I just wanna give him his flowers. I’ve been around a lot of players, players of his caliber as well. For him to be selfless and allow guys like Wenyen Gabriel and Vanderbilt to come in and stay in the game and control the momentum that we had going on was huge, and it’s contagious for the rest of our group to wanna play for one another. it starts with your best player. So, for him to do that, kudos,” Russell said.
The Lakers now sit ninth in the Western Conference, just one game behind the six-seeded Dallas Mavericks, who occupy the final playoff spot that doesn’t require navigating the play-in tournament to make it into the postseason.
Austin Reaves Heaps Praise on D’Angelo Russell
Throughout the Lakers’ game against the Raptors, Russell impressed with his three-level scoring and ability to dictate the pace of the offense, as he made an impactful return from injury to juice the Lakers’ offensive prowess.
When speaking to the media following the game, Austin Reaves heaped praise on the veteran guard and what he brings to the Lakers’ rotation.
The #Lakers bench tonight was +20 and Austin Reaves isn’t shocked at all. He knows how deep this team is. 🗣️
“He’s a really good basketball player that plays the game the right way,” Reaves said, “You don’t really see him too many times, in the midst of a game, making a wild play. He’s very under control, plays at his own pace, and as I said, he’s just super talented. The shots he was hitting in the fourth is ridiculous. You got only a handful of guys that take those shots in those situations. So, shout out to him. It’s good to have him back. We’re looking to keep it rolling.”
Russell ended the contest against the Raptors with 28 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds while shooting 58.8% from the field and 62.5% from three-point range to lead his team in scoring.
LeBron James Pushing To Return From Injury
According to a March 10 report by ESPN’S Brian Windhorst, LeBron James is ‘turning over every stone’ to return from a tendon injury in his right foot before the end of the season, which for the Lakers, is on April 9 when they face the Utah Jazz.
“From what I am told, LeBron is turning over every stone he possibly can from a treatment perspective to get that foot in position to return at some point this season,” Windhorst said.