“He was talking s**t all year" - D'Angelo Russell disses former Nikola Jokic teammate after winning inaugural NBA Cup
The beef between the LA Lakers and the Denver Nuggets continues as Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell takes a shot at Bruce Brown. Brown was a member of the Nuggets championship squad from last season that swept the Lakers in last year's Western Conference Finals.
Brown has since left the Nuggets to join the Indiana Pacers, the team that faced the Lakers in the finals of the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament. D'Angelo Russell was not ready to let his issues with Brown go, even though he was playing for a new team.
Several Nuggets players talked smack to the Lakers during their playoff matchup and even after they'd already won the title. This drew the ire of several Lakers players, including Russell.
Tonight, Russell got some measure of revenge against Bruce Brown as the Lakers dominantly defeated the Pacers to take home the first-ever NBA Cup. And in an article by the LA Times, it appears that the Laker guard also had some things to say about Brown.
"He was talking s*** all year," Russell said. "For me, it was just showing it with my play. I don't have nothing to say to him. I'm a fan of him to be honest. This was just all on the court. Got something to say? Show me on the court. [Nikola] Jokic ain't there next to you today. It's different."
Also read: "Big nuts": D'Angelo Russell makes NSFW remarks for Austin Reaves as $54 million guard walks into press room.
D'Angelo Russell struggled but still performed better than Bruce Brown in the In-Season Tournament Final
The Lakers did not leave any doubt that they were the most dominant team in the In-Season Tournament, capping off their undefeated run with a 123-109 victory over the Pacers.
Anthony Davis led the team with 41 points and 20 rebounds, along with four blocks, to lead the Lakers. Austin Reaves also had a strong showing, going off for 28 points from off the bench, 22 of which came in the first half.
D'Angelo Russell also scored in double figures, ending the night with 13 points and seven assists in over 30 minutes of action. However, he did not have an efficient shooting night, going 6-of-15 from the field and 0-for-3 from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, for the Indiana Pacers, Bruce Brown had a forgettable 2-of-9 shooting for only four points. He also had two steals and a block to contribute on the defensive end, but ultimately, it would be for nothing as his team would fail to capture the NBA Cup.