On April 26, 2024, Beijing time, the NBA playoffs continued, and the Lakers lost to the Nuggets again in the G3 game, although they were able to extend their advantage in the first half, but the third quarter collapsed again, and finally they lost 105:112. James got 26 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists in the whole game, and Davis also got 33 points and 15 rebounds.
For the Lakers, Russell's play is crucial if the team wants to win. Russell played 24 minutes in this game, shooting 0 of 7 from the field and 0 of 6 from three-point range, scoring no points in the whole game, only grabbing 3 rebounds and dishing out 2 assists. Such a poor performance is indeed a bit unacceptable, and Russell's falling to the freezing point in such a crucial game really proves that he is not a player who is good at playing the playoffs.
And recently Brian Windhorst of the Athletic spoke about Russell on his podcast, saying that Russell may choose to jump out of his current contract and become a free agent. Russell signed a two-year, $36 million contract with the Lakers last year, with an $18.69 million player option for next season. If he chooses to jump out of his contract and leave the Lakers, he should also have the opportunity to sign a bigger contract with another team.
Of course, if Russell leaves, it will not be bad news for the Lakers, after all, such an unstable offensive point will not help the team go further.