Saturday was a special day for Brooklyn Nets guard D'Angelo Russell. Not only was it his birthday, but he also tied his career high of 40 points to lead the Nets to a 117-115 road victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Following the game, Russell attributed his special night to the basketball gods and then credited his teammates for his outstanding performance, per Greg Logan of Newsday:

https://twitter.com/GregLogan1/status/1099519267907751936

D'Angelo Russell made multiple clutch buckets down the stretch, including a massive go ahead 3-pointer to give Brooklyn the lead. Charlotte had a chance to tie or win the game on the final possession, but a questionable non-call from the officials on Kemba Walker's potential game-winning triple ultimately gave Brooklyn the win and the 2-1 season series lead.

Russell ended the game on a personal 12-point run to close out the Hornets on the road. He shot 14-of-31 from the field, made six 3-pointers, and dished out seven assists as the Nets moved to 31-30 on the season.

The former second overall pick is in the midst of a breakout campaign as the leader of a surging Brooklyn squad that is poised to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. This hasn't gone unnoticed, as D'Angelo Russell made his first All-Star team this year, serving as the injury replacement for Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo.

Russell has elevated his game to another level, and this has made him one of the front-runners for Most Improved Player this season. Many had doubted Russell's ability to be the lead point guard of a playoff team. Some even believed that he couldn't be a point guard in this league.

But D'Angelo Russell is making those haters eat their words right now with the way he's playing this season. In his fourth season in the league, he's averaging career highs across multiple categories, including points (20.5), assists (6.7), field goal percentage (43.4 percent), and 3-pointers made (2.8).