D’Angelo Russell, Austin Reaves Excite Fans as LeBron, Lakers Beat Nets in Preseason

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D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves looked sharp on Monday night, helping LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers secure a 129-126 win over the Brooklyn Nets in their second preseason game.

The former Ohio State point guard finished with 14 points and a game-high six assists in only 16 minutes, shooting 4-5 from three. He added two steals on the defensive end, while his plus/minus of +10 was the third-highest on the team behind Anthony Davis and free agent addition Jaxson Hayes.

NBA @NBA

DLo cooking early!

He’s 4-4 from deep in Q1 on the NBA App 🔥

📲 https://t.co/WfH3FJ6tZs pic.twitter.com/N88zPZRttA

Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers

14 points. 8 minutes. DLo is heating up 🔥 pic.twitter.com/ct5j4qphZl

This was Russell’s second-straight impressive performance, as he recorded 15 points and 5 assists on 6-10 shooting in Los Angeles’ first preseason game against the Golden State Warriors.

It’s a great sign for Lakers fans, as it appears the 27-year-old has left his playoff struggles behind and is ready to contribute towards another deep postseason run. In Los Angeles’ 2023 Western Conference Finals defeat, Russell averaged a mere 6.3 points per game while hitting 32% of his field goals and 13% of his triples.

Ryan Rueda @iDude14

LeBron James is healthy.

Anthony Davis jump shot is back.

D’Angelo Russell shooting is back.

Austin Reaves improved a lot.

Lakers have shooters and very good defenders now.

Talk soon. 🤫🏆

JAKE @KingJakeVII

D’Angelo Russell is on 🔥 for the Lakers tonight.

Stop talking down on the dude. He’s going to be huge for us in the regular season.

Lakers Daily @LakersDailyCom

D’Angelo Russell in 6 minutes:

14 points
5/6 FG
4/4 3PM

🔥🔥🔥🔥

Billy Reinhardt @BillyReinhardt

Nobody gets hotter than D’Angelo Russell when he’s on. It’s insane.

Harrison Faigen @hmfaigen

He’s trying to make the Nets regret trading him for Kevin Durant by the end of this quarter my goodness

Austin Reaves also had a big night, as the Lakers’ young guard looks primed for a breakout third season. He scored 18 points on just 7 field goal attempts, getting into a back-and-forth shootout with Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas in the third quarter.

Mike Trudell @LakersReporter

Austin Reaves drilled B2B 3’s, then a pair of FT’s to reach 18 points on 5 of 7 FG’s, and 4 of 6 3’s, amidst a flurry of 3’s from Cam Thomas (3 straight).

Lakers Lead @LakersLead

AUSTIN REAVES TONIGHT
🌟 20 minutes
🌟 18 points
🌟 2 assists
🌟 2 rebounds
🌟 5/7 FG
🌟 4/6 3PT

CAPTAIN AMERICA IS BACK #LakeShow pic.twitter.com/AJqAzrBvRH

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS

Love seeing Austin Reaves as the screener for LeBron. Can create a ton of fun mismatches that way.

Rui Hachimura finished with a team-high 19 points off the bench, showcasing his lethal combination of smooth post footwork and an excellent mid-range shooting touch.

Meanwhile, second-round rookie Maxwell Lewis chipped in with 10 points and 2 rebounds in just 15 minutes. He went 4-5 from the field, including a powerful windmill dunk.

NBA @NBA

Maxwell Lewis goes WINDMILL in Vegas!

Lakers/Nets down to the wire 🔥

Watch on NBA App: https://t.co/WfH3FJ6tZs pic.twitter.com/1B1BOBsONZ

The Lakers’ next preseason game is on Wednesday, where they’ll be facing off against the Sacramento Kings. Tip-off will be at 10 p.m. ET.

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