Though the Los Angeles Lakers ultimately came up short in their comeback attempt against the Sacramento Kings, D’Angelo Russell enjoyed a career night, pouring in 27 points.
Unfortunately for Russell, his night was cut short as he turned his ankle with two minutes remaining and had to leave the game.
Thankfully for Russell and the Lakers, X-rays on Russell’s ankle came back negative according to Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times:
X-rays on D'Angelo Russell's right ankle showed there were no broken bones. Moderate ankle sprain, Lakers say.
— Mike Bresnahan (@Mike_Bresnahan) January 8, 2016
This is excellent news for the Lakers as it could have turned out much worse. After last year’s terrible situation of losing Julius Randle, the Lakers did not want to go through something similar with Russell, especially as he is just beginning to figure things out.
After a slow start to the season, Russell has played well recently, figuring out how to get to his favorite spots on the floor and getting his teammates involved. Russell has looked more and more comfortable and that was apparent before he left tonight’s game against the Kings, scoring 11 of his career-high 27 points in the fourth quarter.
After the loss, the Lakers have three straight home games. How long it takes Russell to come back is up in the air and he was reportedly limping noticeably in the locker room after the game. Hopefully, Russell can return quickly and continue his development.