Los Angeles Lakers fans have to be conflicted. On one hand, the young core is finally coming together. They’re winning down the stretch and showing flashes of their potential to end the season at a high point. The problem is, it might cost them a draft pick.
Thanks to D’Angelo Russell‘s buzzer beater against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, this gives the Lakers a 4-game winning streak and they’re fumbling their odds to cement a No. 1 or No. 2 overall seed in the upcoming NBA Draft. As of now, they have a greater than 50% chance of being out of the Top 3 altogether, which would result in gift-wrapping the pick to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The shot came at an emotional time for Russell, though.
The young Lakers guard learned his grandmother passed before the game. He wasn’t even scheduled to play last night, but changed his mind at the last minute and made his way to STAPLES Center to play because he said that’s what she would have wanted.
He dedicated that final shot for her.
D’Angelo had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on the night, but that shot couldn’t have been scripted any better. He got the friendly bounce and said it was divine intervention that it went in.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins both finished the game with over 40 points on the night, but it wasn’t enough for the baby Wolves to get the W.
FINAL: LAL 110 | MIN 109