Down just two points in the game’s final seconds, D’Angelo Russell clanked in a three-pointer at the buzzer to push the Lakers to 110-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves late Sunday night.
D’Angelo Russell’s buzzer beater may have done the Lakers more harm than good
Los Angeles loses its first-round pick this year and in 2019 if it falls outside of the top-three.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
He immediately ran over and hugged his family members.
Russell finished with just 16 points, but got the game’s deciding shot to drop after Metta World Peace bricked a corner three. The shot was made possible after Larry Nance Jr. rejected Ricky Rubio at the rim with 11 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
It was an amazing sequence to watch.
The win, however, hurt the Lakers (25-55), who lose their first-round pick in this year’s and 2019’s NBA Draft if it lands outside of the top-three. Los Angeles, who has now won four straight games, has only a 48.6-percent chance the pick falls into the top-three after the draft lottery. They trail the league-worst Brooklyn Nets (20-60) and the Phoenix Suns (24-57).
So even though Russell and a young Lakers team have a lot to smile about tonight, management might not be too happy if luck isn’t on their side in June.
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