D’Angelo Russell caught the ball with 1.5 seconds left on the shot clock, took one dribble to the right and launched a fadeaway 3-pointer over the outstretched hands of R.J. Barrett.
The ball took a rainbow trajectory before swishing through the net as the clock expired. Russell looked toward the crowd and threw up three fingers to celebrate his first field goal of the night.
Prior to that moment, Russell struggled offensively and missed his first seven shots despite making six free throws. On a night when the Mavericks were without three true point guards, Russell rose to the occasion and played a pivotal part off the bench in Sunday’s 139-129 win over the Toronto Raptors.
“I think our team came in ready,” Russell said. “I think we were tired of losing as a unit and everybody did a little bit. Nobody really had to do a lot.”
Mavericks
There were several contributors on Sunday as the Mavericks had seven players score in double-figures, including Anthony Davis (25), Russell (24), Cooper Flagg (22), P.J. Washington Jr. (17), Max Christie (17), Naji Marshall (12) and Klay Thompson (10). Dallas is 9-1 over the last two seasons when seven or more players reach 10 or more points.
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Russell’s season-high 24 points also included five rebounds, a team-high six assists with three steals. His 24 points were his eighth-most points in the game as a reserve. It was also his third career game with at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists off the bench.
“That’s D-Lo at his best,” said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. “Being able to playmake, score and then find guys. I thought he did a great job, not just on the offensive end but also on the defensive end.”
Russell signed a two-year contract with the Mavericks during the offseason, their lone free agent addition. The signing was interpreted by several around the NBA that Russell would begin the season as the team’s starting point guard. However, Kidd started 18-year-old rookie wing Cooper Flagg at the point, while Russell has begun the season on the bench.
The most memorable play of the game included Russell, as he threw a pass in transition to Flagg, who threw down a vicious one-handed dunk over Raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili while being fouled. Flagg credited Russell for making high-impact plays.
“It’s unbelievable,” Russell said. “He does a little bit of everything. When he’s getting the crowd going like that, our team feeds off it. Everybody wants to see him do great and when he’s performing like that, it’s contagious.”
The Mavericks remain without Kyrie Irving and Dante Exum, but Brandon Williams also missed the game because of personal reasons. Jaden Hardy only received five minutes of action, while two-way rookie Ryan Nembhard didn’t receive playing time until the final two minutes.
Russell played 29 minutes for the Mavericks on Sunday, eclipsing his combined total of 23 minutes of action in the first two losses to San Antonio and Washington. Russell said he didn’t have a conversation with Mavericks coach Jason Kidd about an expanded role, but he wanted to be prepared in case the opportunity presented itself.
“Coach is experimenting. Just trying to be ready,” Russell said. “Being a vet in the league, you never know when your number’s going to be called but if you get distracted by what’s going on, you won’t be ready. Just trying to stay ready.”
Anthony Davis has history as Russell’s teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers from the 2022-23 season to 2024-2025. He called Russell an X-factor as he watched the Green Bay Packers, his favorite NFL team, from his locker.
“True professional,” Davis said. “He’s been in this league long enough. He never wavered. He stayed with the team. He stayed with himself, stayed locked in and came and made plays for us today. He came in and definitely changed the game. I’ve been a teammate of his for a couple of years and I know his ability to change the game and what he can do offensively.”
It’s unclear if the Mavericks will revisit Sunday’s strategy with Russell serving as the primary point guard off the bench in Monday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but the adjustment played an integral part in the team’s first victory.
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