D'Angelo Russell came up with another impressive performance for the Los Angeles Lakers following a six-game injury absence. In just his second game back since recovering from an ankle injury, the one-time All-Star dropped 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting, to go along with five boards, eight assists and six triples in 35 minutes of action. Unfortunately for the Lakers, not even Russell's heroics was enough to lift them to a win against a relentless New York Knicks side.

After the tough loss, Russell was at a bit of a loss for words as he tried to express the disappointment that was brought about by Sunday's defeat. The new Lakers recruit admitted that this loss is not going to be an easy pill to swallow for the squad:

That one hurt for us,” Russel said, via Spectrum SportsNet on Twitter. “I think we were battling. We were doing everything we could. … It just didn't really go our way, I guess.”

The Knicks were able to bring up the lead to double digits in the fourth quarter, but the Lakers battled back. They closed the gap to two points in the dying minutes, but in the end, their effort fell short. Russell and the rest of the squad saw their three-game winning streak snapped, and they have now fallen to 10th in the West.

D'Angelo Russell has been nothing short of outstanding since joining the Lakers, but they will need much more of the same from him the rest of the way. LA is still in a tight race for the final few Play-In spots in the West, and from here on out, every game counts.