D'Angelo Russell

After Game 1 of the playoff series between the Lakers and the Nuggets concluded, many fans placed partial blame on D’Angelo Russell for his team’s loss. However, he entered Game 2 with redemption in mind.

The Lakers’ star delivered an outstanding performance, shooting 6 of 7 from beyond the arc in the first half. The Lakers showed significant improvement compared to their previous game, establishing a twenty-point lead by halftime. However, the officiating during the game was questionable. Despite a review, D’Lo did not receive a foul call after being struck in the face during a drive attempt.

Fans are expressing their opinions on the video of the play on social media. In the clip, D’Angelo Russell jumps after a drive to attempt a basket. Michael Porter Jr., who was defending him, raised his hand, but as MPJ’s hand dropped, it struck D’Lo directly in the face.

Despite the apparent contact, no foul was called on the play, prompting the Lakers to request a review. However, after reviewing the footage, the officials upheld their initial decision, deeming the contact on D’Angelo Russell minimal and opting not to penalize the Nuggets. Consequently, the game proceeded, but the Lakers ultimately lost, giving the Nuggets a firm grip on the series.

NBA fans react to D’Angelo Russell getting hit in the face

NBA fans were quick to express their opinions on the matter. They flooded the comments section on social media, One fan commented, “The refs rigging this game” accusing the officials of supporting the Nuggets with the calls. Another fan commented, “My god, every time I see it, it looks more ridiculous,” expressing his disappointment at a no-call.

Fan commented, “Lakers vs. Refs as always,” accusing the officials of being unfair to the Lakers. Another comment said, “I dislike the Lakers and always want them to lose. That said, they were robbed here. That was a foul,” supporting the Lakers on this foul call.

Fan commented, “All regular season that has been a flagrant, you can’t just hit someone in the face,” highlighting that such plays were called out as flagrant fouls in regular season. Another comment said, “We still remember AD got hit in the face and then missed the game cause of it. Same shit. No foul,” reminding everyone of a similar incident with Anthony Davis in the past.

Another fan commented, “Nuggets got bailed out last night, to be honest,” suggesting that the referees helped the Nuggets win. Another comment said, “I don’t care what the rules say; clearly a foul,” expressing his opinion on the foul.