D’Angelo Russell hits game-winning shot after deciding to play in honor of late grandmother

D’Angelo Russell hit a dramatic buzzer-beater on Sunday night to beat the Timberwolves, but there was a lot more to the moment than just this shot.

On Sunday morning Russell found out his grandmother had died. He originally planned to skip the game, fly out to Louisville, and spend time with his family, but realized it wasn’t possible.

Nobody would have faulted him for taking the game off to grieve, but instead he wanted to honor his grandmother.

Obviously the game was emotional, but Russell found the will to play through — driven by the memory of his grandmother and wanting to play for her. He finished with 16 points, four rebounds, and four assists. After the game, he ran into the stands to find his family members, who, like Russell, couldn’t make it to Louisville in time.

It was an emotional night for everyone involved, and after the game, D’Angelo explained what the game meant to him.

“The heartbeat of my granny, man. I found out my granny was dead this morning, man. That’s tragic, man. That’s God’s hands — I can’t really control that -- that’s God making that shot. That shot was for my Granny, man. I wasn’t even going to play tonight, honestly man — that’s all God right there.”

The entire Russell family will remember this shot forever.