NBA
Is D’Angelo Russell playing tonight (Apr. 4) vs the the Utah Jazz?
Zach Wolpin is an NBA and NFL expert who's been betting on the league for over three years now. Wolpin has been a fan of the NBA and has been watching for a decade and a half. He covers the latest news and stories surrounding the league daily. His passion in life is watching sports and being able to share that through his sports writing. He has written about the NBA and other sports leagues through various media outlets over the years like Sir Charles In Charge, G-Men HQ, and TAP into South Plainfield. Before he became an NBA News Writer, Wolpin attended Montclair State University where he graduated in 2021. He studied Sports Media and Writing while in school.
All posts by Zach WolpinUpdated04 Apr 2023
The Lakers’ final four games of the regular season are going to determine what seed they get in the playoffs. At the moment, they are 40-38 and are currently in a four-way tie for the fifth seed in the West. Technically they are the seventh seed, but the standings are so close coming down the stretch. There’s a strong chance that the Lakers are without their starting PG D’Angelo Russell tonight. He’s dealing with left foot soreness.
Russell was originally listed as questionable to play tonight but has since been downgraded to questionable to play. The one-time all-star has played in 14 games since being traded back to the Lakers from the Minnesota Timberwolves this season. The Lakers may be playing it safe with Russell as they know they will need him healthy for what they hope is a deep playoff run.
Califonia Sports Betting sites have the Lakers at (+1400) to win the Finals this season.
Update from the Lakers: D’Angelo Russell (left foot soreness) has been downgraded to questionable for tonight’s game at Utah.
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 4, 2023
It’s looking like D’Angelo Russell will not be playing tonight vs the Utah Jazz
D’Angelo Russell left halftime of the Lakers’ win on Sunday vs the Rockets. Head coach Darvin Ham said it was only precautionary and Russell was not available to speak to the media after the game. Ham said that Russell could have played if they needed him to and they are playing it safe on their end.
The Lakers know that they are a sleeper pick in the Western Conference playoffs. A few wins over the next four games could be the difference between the seventh or tenth seed, possibly even the top six. Making the playoffs without competing in the play-in tournament would be the most ideal scenario for the Lakers.
They will have an important matchup tomorrow vs the Clippers. The Clippers are the fifth seed at the moment and the Lakers are just half a game back in the standing. A win tonight could have them dead even with the Clippers in their final matchup of the season. LA is looking to not get swept 4-0 in the season series.
