Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell is set to return to the lineup on Friday after a six-game absence due to a right ankle sprain. Lakers coach Darvin Ham said that Russell would not face any playing time restrictions and would be "pretty much a full go".
The guard, who has been practicing with coaches, but not playing in full team scrimmages, said he was not concerned about returning to the game. He will rejoin the starting backcourt, with Dennis Schroder heading to the bench unit. Russell has averaged 13.5 points and 5.0 assists in four games since joining the Lakers at the trade deadline, and Schroder has been impressive in his absence, averaging 14.3 points and 8.5 assists.
The Lakers have been dealing with several injuries, with backup center Mo Bamba expected to be out for at least four weeks due to a high left ankle sprain. Despite the injuries, the Lakers have registered the best defensive rating in the NBA since the All-Star break. The Lakers are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference, and they are just two games behind the Golden State Warriors for the No. 5 spot.
Russell compared the remaining games to a team starting the playoffs, needing to secure 16 wins to earn the title. He said that it would be one game at a time and that the intensity would increase as the playoffs approached.
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