D’Angelo Russell returned to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night and he did so with authority.
Russell was red-hot all night long.
The new Laker scored 28 points, 5 rebounds, and 9 assists in a big 122-112 win over the Toronto Raptors.
With LeBron James still out and Anthony Davis only scoring 8 points and 9 rebounds for the game, Russell was the team’s MVP.
According to Hoop Central, Russell spoke to NBA TV about his first game back since spraining his ankle and missing six straight matches with the Lakers.
“They lucky I sprained my ankle,” Russell said.
He added, “Simple as that, I was ready to go crazy.”
D'Angelo Russell:
"They lucky I sprained my ankle. Simple as that, I was ready to go crazy." 🔥
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)pic.twitter.com/MOXfgQzzg2
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 11, 2023
Crazy is exactly what Russell was on Friday night.
Unsurprisingly, the fans were blown away by his hard work.
On Saturday morning, NBA fan Gary Kester put it simply: “Good morning to everyone but especially D’Angelo Russell and the Los Angeles Lakers.”
Good morning to everyone but especially to D’Angelo Russell and the Los Angeles Lakers.
— Gary Kester (@garykester) March 11, 2023
Others, such as NBA-Fan, commented on the craziness of Russell’s showing on Friday.
They noted how his three-point daggers are “demoralizing” to opponents.
D’Angelo Russell’s pull up threes are not just your average 3s. They are demoralizing and force the opposition to call timeouts. pic.twitter.com/5G6mR2Wyii
— 🎗NBA•Fan🎗 (@Prime_LeBron23) March 11, 2023
Lakers Daily commented on how satisfied they are with the trade that landed LA Russell.
“I still can’t believe we got D’Angelo Russell for Russell Westbrook,” they said on Friday night.
I still can't believe we got D'Angelo Russell for Russell Westbrook lmaoooooooooo
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) March 11, 2023
Others are already sold on Russell and want him to play in LA for the rest of his career.
Max Porsche said, “Lakers need to keep D’Angelo Russell and let the man retire in purple and gold.”
Lakers need to keep D'Angelo Russell and let the man retire in purple and gold
— Max (short for Maximum) Porsche (@matt_borgia) March 11, 2023
All season long, fans of the Lakers have been waiting for a final piece of the lineup to make the team truly competitive and capable.
Following his big return on Friday night, many people are convinced they were waiting for Russell.
NEXT: NBA Fans React To What LeBron Said About The Lakers
