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Tempers flared between the San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night. With the two teams locked in a close battle, Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell and Spurs point guard Chris Paul got into it near mid-court after the two exchanged hard bumps while Paul was bringing the ball up the floor.
Paul gave Russell a bit of an elbow after catching the ball, and Russell returned the favor as Paul crossed half court. Officials separated the two and nothing more came of the situation.
Russell has been adjusting to a new role with the Lakers as the sixth man. Coming off the bench isn't something Russell has done a ton since coming back to Los Angeles for hiss second stint with the team, but he was moved to the second unit after head coach JJ Redick was unhappy with his effort and competitiveness. Since moving to the bench, Russell has played better while allowing the Lakers to have more size and lineup versatility in the front court.
Paul is still getting acclimated and trying to build a winning culture in his first season in San Antonio. At the very least, he has the Spurs playing better than last season and has given them a sense of leadership and organization that the team lacked last season when they played a lot of minutes without a true point guard on the floor.
The Lakers are trying to snap a three-game losing streak in this one. They were embarrassed by the Phoenix Suns in NBA Cup play on Tuesday night, so they're looking to flush that result quickly and get back in the win column. Head coach JJ Redick said after that game that the Lakers were considering making some changes on the defensive end of the floor, and those changes paid off as the Lakers were able to pick up a 119-101 win over the Spurs to end their losing streak.
