6 years ago on opening night, LeBron James had to step in between Chris Paul and Rajon Rondo. A violent brawl led to ejections and technicals on opening night. Today, the 39-year-old had to be on his toes again for his good pal when the vet locked eyes with D’Angelo Russell during one of the possessions in the matchup. As the Spurs host the Lakers, Russell, a guard battling the trade mill picked up CP3 full court nearing halftime. The veteran opted for a seasoned move and used his elbow, although concealing it from the referee.

The San Antonio point guard, however, couldn’t stop it from upsetting the 28-year-old. In retaliation, Russell gave him a firm push near midcourt. The tension suddenly thickened in the building. D’Angelo Russell and Chris Paul exchanged words in the heated aftermath as Rui Hachimura and Anthony Davis appeared to put the situation to rest. Luckily, no brawl ensued.

LeBron James didn’t have to actively take Chris Paul away like he did in 2018. However, the Akron Hammer did stay close in case matters escalated. Such moments, as much irony as they carry, tend to benefit one of the sides. In the third quarter, that advantage seemed to be with the Lakers. A 34-30 quarter allowed them to extend their lead to 15 going to the final quarter.

However, the Spurs, among the breakout teams, aren’t ones to give in so soon.

D’Angelo Russell helps the Lakers attain an advantage

Despite the Lakers holding a commanding lead, which was at 19 at its apex, the scoring didn’t come from their big guns. Anthony Davis didn’t have over 15 points when the third quarter began. LeBron James only stood with 6 points. While they did have meaningful contributions in other facets, the requirement for scoring was palpable.

For the past few games, D’Angelo Russell had been struggling to be a consistent contributor. Coming off the bench to provide a scoring burst, the last few games had been rough for the seasoned guard. In a five-game stretch, Russell had single-digit production in four. After the last interaction with the Spurs that also went down to the wire, tonight there was much less room for error.

And, D’Angelo Russell stepped up.

So far, with the Lakers having regained a controllable lead, Russell is the third-best scorer. He has added 17 points on blistering efficiency. It includes a trifecta of triples, a line D’Lo hadn’t met since their game against the Raptors over two weeks ago! However, breaking a three-game losing streak doesn’t come down to one man.

JJ Redick wanted to have a well-spread-out offense to increase the number of threats on the floor. Along with D’Angelo Russell, six other Purple and Gold players scored in double-digits. LeBron James added another triple-double while Anthony Davis contained Victor Wembanyama. Earning his spot back on the starting lineup also inspired Dalton Knecht, who scored 20 to lead all scorers.