D’Angelo Russell may have been getting an early jump on setting up an offseason vacation.
At one point, Russell — who finished with zero points in 24 minutes of play in the Lakers’ 112-105 Game 3 loss to the Nuggets — was sitting on the bench and appeared to be on his phone during a team huddle, as seen in a video on X.
The 28-year-old point guard also appeared to be eating something.
It’s unclear if Russell skipped the huddle on purpose.
It’s possible he was frustrated with his scoreless performance in a crucial Game 3.
Russell missed all seven of his shots and went 0-for-6 in 3-point attempts in the loss — which put them in a 3-0 hole against the reigning champion Nuggets.
At one point, fans were booing Russell, who was eventually benched.
Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell appeared to be on his phone on the bench and eating something during a team huddle in Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the Nuggets. X Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell appeared to be on his phone on the bench and eating something during a team huddle in Thursday’s Game 3 loss to the Nuggets. XRussell did have three rebounds, two assists, one steal and a single block.
Russell is shooting just 32.6 percent from the field so far in this series.
The All-Star guard also struggled offensively in the 2023 Western Conference Finals against the Nuggets.
The LeBron James-led Lakers are now one game away from a potential trip to the offseason, and history isn’t on their side.
Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell (1) moves the ball against Denver Nuggets guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (5) during the second half in Game 3 of the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena on April 25, 2024. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConNo NBA team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit, to date.
The Lakers led by more than 10 points in all three games of the first-round series, but had no answer for the reigning NBA Finals MVP, Nikola Jokic.
The Lakers are on an 11-game losing streak to Nuggets — and it marked their seventh straight playoff loss, all of which have come against Denver.
Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, and Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell, center reach for a rebound during the second half of Game 3 in their first-round playoff series in Los Angeles, Thursday, April 25, 2024. APThe Lakers host the Nuggets for Game 4 at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday.
