LOS ANGELES — The Lakers' lead over Phoenix had dwindled to one in the fourth quarter Wednesday when D'Angelo Russell returned to the floor after a rest on the bench.
There was a sense of uncertainty and dread filling Crypto.com Arena. The Suns were making a push, and a loss would have left the Lakers on the wrong side of the cutoff for making the play-in. Russell, intent on bringing energy to his team and to every corner of the building, brought the spark and clutch performance the Lakers and their fans so eagerly wanted to see.
Driving around defender T.J. Warren, Russell finished off a nifty finger roll to increase the Lakers' lead to three, draw a foul, and get the fans roaring. His momentum carried him toward the pricey seats behind the basket, where he extended his hand toward a familiar face: Robert Horry, who won three of his seven NBA championships as a member of the Lakers.
