D'Angelo Russell Reacts To Lakers GM3 vs Warriors | May 6, 2023

D'Angelo you had the scoring flurry to start the game not the first one that you've had in this postseason especially in this building just wondered how you're starting to figure out the spots on the floor like next to LeBron AD and how that's starting to flow is you know still you haven't played a ton of games together at this point. Man I mean just trying to trying to be in a position to take advantage of like you said how they're guarding us they got some of their best defenders guarding Bron another defender guarding AD you know a lot of teams best two defenders are guarding those guys so for me to be able to take advantage of it on the backside and create things and be aggressive for myself as well just kind of opens the game up. Hey D'Angelo you've talked a lot about how you've matured since the first stint with the Lakers till now how good does it feel to be out there game after game having these flurries really affecting the game night after night? It's good it's good just knowing that I'm prepared for whatever is next you know I feel like I was prepared for this situation prepared for this opportunity now prepared myself mentally physically to have success under these circumstances too obviously getting traded and things like that you know you got to readjust your focus and like I said going through what I've been through in my short time as a pro prepared me for almost everything so just being prepared getting my mentality shifted to the right place and then attacking it from there I've had some success so might not change that up. With LeBron not scoring a you know it hardly at all in the first period did you take it upon yourself to say I'm gonna I'm gonna take that role right now is this what you just referring to? I mean Bron's a guy that could dominate the game from so many different you know aspects obviously a regular fan will recognize scoring dunking things that are loud like that but he still affect the game with with passing with defense with communication all those little things that you don't really see on the stat sheet he still led us you know in a way that you might not see so for me it was just scoring tonight next day next night it might be passing so just just taking advantage of what they're what they're allowing us to have. Hilo such a unique flow to the game a the way you started be all sudden they're up 40 to 29 and then you guys go 13 nothing how do you describe kind of the flow that got you guys going? We locked in honestly I think we just got stops and it allowed us to kind of creep back you know a few and ones few threes few offensive rebounds leading to two easy layups got stops got out in transition things like that that we probably weren't getting earlier throughout the game like I said once we get off to a good start I like our chances. Hi over here to your right I know every playoff game is kind of its own entity its own story but is there anything that you personally or you as a team can take out of this that you think will help you in game three game four excuse me? Obviously they're gonna adjust you know and we got to figure out how we're gonna adjust to that and try to prepare for what they're gonna adjust for obviously I don't want to speak too much on what our game plan is but the game at its purest form is simple you know and that's what we see right now we're in a position to where if they take a away you gotta take you gotta you gotta go with B if they take B away you got to go with C and it'll be right there you know for you to take advantage of it so we'll check the film and go from there. D-Lo to your right you got here from a Minnesota team defensively that was really aggressive I remember in the playoffs y'all played an aggressive style forced a lot of turns but y'all fouled a lot what's it like going from a defense like that to the defense that you play on now where I mean tonight y'all forced turns but that's not always how y'all play y'all emphasize making sure you defend without fouling. I mean when I was there in Minnesota we were we were versatile but it was kind of a set program on what we were gonna do defensively with with the bigs that we had AD brings a different dynamic to the team to where you can be a little more versatile on the defensive end and I think that's what it is you know when he controls the game like he does he makes it makes everything easier for everybody else gives a guy like me confidence to be aggressive on the ball and around the perimeter knowing that I have that anchor down there to kind of save the day so I mean I just think it's just a shift in mentality obviously the personnel goes into play so just recognizing and going with it right here congratulations on the way I want to ask you so when you fall behind by 11 the 40 to 29 I know you as a team any team doesn't want to pressure themselves we have to come back but is there in the back of your mind a sense of urgency we can't let it get any worse and we have to respond at that point I don't think um whenever the game presents a run from a team I don't think you're thinking your urgency doesn't go up I mean they just may have gotten a whistle or a foul or and one or something that kind of gave him some momentum and that's what the game's all about knowing that they're gonna make shots they're gonna make tough shots we're gonna be four-point plays in ball there's gonna be rebounds kick out for three all that's gonna happen that's gonna allow them to get some points and have the league but eventually when you miss shots like that we get to get out we get to respond and we get to do things like that so just always sticking to that plan knowing that there's always a chance the game's never really over until it is and knowing that we're capable of matching up with a lot of teams and we're capable of scoring you know outscoring a lot of teams to the low right here to your left when you guys came in at the trade deadline and the Lakers were where there were was your mindset thinking that hey if we put this all together we can wind up being in a position to contend like what was your initial just outlook when you saw all the personnel changes made and you were one of them um honestly I didn't know what we had going on honestly I was just kind of going with the flow I mean I told Rob right away that um I didn't know what our team was gonna look like he kind of laughed and then we continue to make a few trading pieces and I was just like okay our team's kind of filling out you know we got we got some bodies here that gets us over the hump and just knowing that you know who I'm playing with with the 80s and LeBron's not having the chemistry with those guys I thought it would be um I didn't think the the progression would be as efficient and as soon I thought we would need a lot more games under our belt to get you know get that flow going but as y'all saw as soon as we stepped on the floor we had this pop to us that allowed us to keep going with it going into the next game going into all these games that mattered to finish off the season we had injuries we had all but everybody had the mentality to kind of step up and fulfill that and it allowed us to kind of go right into the playoffs with this momentum to where we can feel like we can beat anybody and we can guard anybody. Last question. What do you make of this series I mean you guys win the close one in game one the Warriors win big in game two you guys win big in game three it seems pretty unpredictable just your thoughts being in it. Playoffs anything can happen honestly when my friends asked me who's gonna win this game tonight when it's Boston if anything can happen man you you got to take that in consideration that it's unpredictable a lot goes into winning in this league it's not easy and players are special they step they rise up to the occasion when their backs are against the wall and it allows teams to kind of create this opportunity for themselves that you probably didn't expect so watching the playoffs knowing that anything can happen the game's never over until it's over and players are dangerous at this time of the year. Thank you.