D'Angelo Russell's injury status for revenge game vs. Timberwolves
12/02/2024 04:58 PM
On Sunday, illness kept point guard D’Angelo Russell out for the Los Angeles Lakers. For LA’s next contest, a road matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Russell will likely play given his probable injury designation, per the NBA’s official injury report.
The Lakers are heading into the second game of a four-game road trip, having lost four of their last six. The losses came against the Orlando Magic, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder. The two wins came against the San Antonio Spurs and Utah Jazz. Now 12-8, the Lakers must get on track in December, with six of their next eight games on the road.
After beginning his career with the Lakers in 2015-16 as the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Russell ended up in Minnesota for about four seasons, from 2019-20 to 2022-23.
Lakers hoping for even more offense from rookie Dalton Knecht
Knecht, the Lakers 2024 first-round pick, had a monster game against the Utah Jazz on November 19. He scored 37 points and went 9-for-12 on threes. Those nine three-pointers tied an NBA record for the most threes made by a rookie in a single game.
The rookie has seen his numbers jump quite a bit over the last month. In a handful of October games, he averaged 16.6 minutes per game. His minutes jumped to 26.4 per game in November. Knecht played 28 or more minutes in seven of his last eight games.
The 23-year-old certainly isn’t lacking confidence. Last month, Knecht told media that he is more than just a three-point shooter.
"I think that's always been a part of my game. I don't think I'm just a three-point shooter. I think I'm a three-level scorer," Knecht said. "I showed that throughout college that I got a midrange, I could do floaters, go in the paint, dunk on somebody or finish over the top of them. I think teams are just starting to realize that I could really shoot the ball from catch and shoot, and now I'm just showing them what I can also do.
"I feel like I get a lot of good looks. I think to be honest, every time I shoot the ball is a good look," Knecht said. "My teammates will be looking for me all the team and JJ will be calling plays. . .it's just executing."
The Lakers will need the rookie to continue to grow to relieve pressure on Anthony Davis and LeBron James especially since Davis and James expect so much this season.
"Right now, we’re in control of our own destiny since we’re sitting in the [sixth] seed, so we’ve just got to continue to do what we do," Davis said. "[LeBron and I] definitely want to win another championship. I want to win another championship. I want a parade. I want to experience that. I know [LeBron] wants to. I know some guys on our team want to win their first one."
The Lakers are in Minnesota to play the Timberwolves at 8:00 p.m. EST.
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