Checkmate. (Or as DLo might say to his Kiwi GM this summer: Check, mate?)
When the Lakers traded D’Angelo Russell in 2017, his name was trashed and his leadership was questioned. That same D’Angelo Russell left Staples Center on Friday, an All-Star leading the up-and-coming Brooklyn Nets into the playoffs.
Something the Lakers cannot say.
The star-studded return for Russell was nice and all, but the only thing that mattered was that they got a much-needed win against the Lakers. For the Nets, it was their second straight victory, 111-106, which puts them 2 1⁄2 games up in the standings at 38-36, and they eliminated the Lakers from playoff contention in the process, too.