Los Angeles Lakers' D'Angelo Russell Out for Friday's Game Against Oklahoma City Thunder

The Los Angeles Lakers are without one of their crucial midseason additions for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Coach Darvin Ham informed reporters Friday evening that D'Angelo Russell is sitting with a right hip injury.

Darvin Ham says D’Angelo Russell will not play against OKC because of his right hip. “It’s not too serious, but serious enough where we need to manage him,” Ham said. Russell will be day-to-day going forward, Ham said.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 25, 2023

Russell has been a clutch addition to the Lakers since joining the team at the trade deadline. He has averaged 18.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 6.4 assists per game in 11 appearances, and his .604 true shooting percentage is a vast improvement on his career average of .540.

The Lakers are 36-37 and ninth in the Western Conference, but every win will count. They're in the middle of a densely packed dogfight as the NBA postseason approaches: only three games separate the fourth-seeded Phoenix Suns and the 12th-seeded Utah Jazz. The Lakers have done well to survive an extended LeBron James absence, but Russell missing time as well could be a bridge too far: the team is 7-4 with Russell on the court.

Russell's next chance to see action will be on Sunday when the Lakers host the Chicago Bulls.