The Minnesota Timberwolves snapped their six-game losing skid in style, as D'Angelo Russell and company absolutely dominated the Los Angeles Lakers on the road Friday night during a 107-83 win. Russell, who used to don Purple & Gold threads for the Lakers, came up big for the Timberwolves. He outplayed Lakers guard Russell Westbrook by scoring 22 points to go along with seven assists and five rebounds, while also hitting five 3-pointers in 34 minutes of action.
Perhaps nothing encapsulates Russell's night for the Timberwolves than the fact that he posted a career-high of +36, which looks even more impressive when juxtaposed to what Westbrook finished with, per StatMuse.
Battle of the point guards:
D’Angelo Russell was +36 tonight, the highest mark of his career.
Russell Westbrook was -32, the lowest on the Lakers. pic.twitter.com/QAZeWHatSq
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 13, 2021
Westbrook scored 20 points in the game but he also turned the ball over a total of five times and was a constant presence for the Lakers in a lot of moments where the Lakers allowed the Timberwolves to score. That's a performance the Lakers certainly did not want to see from Westbrook when they traded for him back in the offseason, and in the process, inherited his expensive contract. (Westbrook's current deal won't expire until the end of the 2022-23 NBA season.)
As for Russell, he's also due to become a free agent at the same time Westbrook is expected to be, but performances like the one he just put up offer a reminder to the Timberwolves why the former Ohio State Buckeyes star is worth keeping around beyond that term.
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