A D'Angleo Russell go-ahead 13-foot floater with just under six seconds remaining and then a Spencer Dinwiddie blocked shot on a Damian Lillard step-back jumper on the game's final possession were the difference in a thrilling 123-122 Lakers win over the Bucks on Friday night. In a game in which neither team ever led by double figures and then traded blows for most of the 4th quarter with the Bucks taking a six-point lead with under two minutes left, it was the Lakers who found the resolve they needed down the stretch to come out on top.
On a night in which the Lakers did not have LeBron James, they were going to need one of their other perimeter shot creators to step up and it was Russell who answered the call in a major way. D-Lo scored the most points he's scored as a Laker with a 44-point outburst -- including 21 in the 4th quarter -- that featured elite shot making from all over the floor. He connected on 17 of his 25 shot attempts from the field, including tying a career-high with nine three-pointers (on 12 attempts), and a bunch of other tough mid-range jumpers and floaters against a stout Bucks defense.
And while all those points were critical to the final outcome, it was not just Russell's scoring that made a difference. D-Lo deftly controlled the tenor and tone of the Lakers offensive attack, managing possessions and keeping them organized whenever he was on the floor. Russell showed a wonderful craft as a playmaker and passer as well, tallying at team-high nine assists and dropping several other dimes that either led to good shots that did not fall or drawn fouls for teammates around the basket.
Beyond Russell, Anthony Davis played a strong two-way game with 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. Gutting through a shoulder issue that occurred after trying to draw a charge on an open court play against Giannis Antetokounmpo, Davis could be seen getting his shoulder worked on during timeouts and was clearly wincing as he held his arm low on several possessions. Still, though, he was a defensive presence in the paint on several possessions late, and hit his lone free throws in the 4th quarter while clearly playing in pain.
Before the shoulder issues, however, Davis more than held his own against the Bucks frontcourt combination of Giannis and Brook Lopez, challenging shots around the basket defensively while showing good variety with his own offensive attack. AD connected on several mid-range jumpers as his defender sagged off, but also did well to work out of the post, both as a back-down player but also turning and facing to create off the dribble for good looks.
Joining AD and Russell in double figures was Austin Reaves, who had an efficient scoring night with 18 points on seven of 12 shooting and two of five from behind the arc. Reaves added five rebounds and seven assists, doing well to move the ball within the team's spacing to find open teammates as the Bucks sold out to protect the paint against AD, Rui Hachimura, and Jaxson Hayes when they dove to the rim. And when Reaves wasn't dishing the ball, he picked his spots well looking for his own shot to make the defense pay for playing off him or trying to cheat under screens.
Ultimately, though, while this was a game that featured some wonderful individual performances, it was a total team effort to get this win. The bench players did not have big nights from a counting stats perspective, but the trio of Cam Reddish, Hayes, and Taurean Prince all made crucial contributions to the win while also being ready to hit shots when given the opportunity. Hayes and Reddish were also in on the defensive possession that directly preceded Russell's game winner, both contributing to keeping the rebound of a Lillard miss away from Giannis to secure the Lakers possession.
And with those types of efforts, the Lakers were able to pull this one out. They'll look to build off this emotional win when they face off against the Timberwolves on Sunday.