{"id":164386,"date":"2025-10-27T15:47:45","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T19:47:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=164386"},"modified":"2025-10-27T15:47:45","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T19:47:45","slug":"dangelo-russell-redemption-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/27\/dangelo-russell-redemption-season\/","title":{"rendered":"D&#8217;Angelo Russell\u2019s Big Game Signals Redemption Season in Dallas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/r\/russeda01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/a> narrative took a major turn after the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/DAL\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dallas Mavericks<\/a> snatched a 139-129 victory over the <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/teams\/TOR\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toronto Raptors<\/a>. After a quiet start to the season and lingering questions about his role, Russell exploded for 24 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in just 29 minutes. The highlight came after missing his first seven shots: with 1.5 seconds left on the shot clock, he launched a fadeaway three, swished it, and flashed the \u201cthree fingers\u201d to the crowd. That moment perfectly captured his comeback.<\/p>\n<h2>D&#8217;Angelo Russell\u2019s Big Game Signals Redemption Season in Dallas<\/h2>\n<h3>The Quiet Storm Before the Surge<\/h3>\n<p>At the start of the season, Russell\u2019s situation felt uncertain. He joined Dallas on a two-year deal after a sub-par split season and initially saw limited minutes. Rookie <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/f\/flaggco01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cooper Flagg<\/a> started at the point guard spot, leaving Russell on the outside. Across the first two losses, he logged just 23 combined minutes, raising doubts about how he fit into Jason Kidd\u2019s rotation. Rather than letting that define him, Russell used it as motivation to refocus and prepare for the moment when his contributions mattered most.<\/p>\n<h3>The Game That Re-Defined D\u2019Angelo Russell<\/h3>\n<p>Against Toronto, Russell tallied 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting, including 2-of-7 from three, along with six assists and three steals. After missing his first seven attempts, he nailed a fadeaway three late in the second quarter that changed the game\u2019s momentum. His defensive contributions and timely playmaking showed he was ready to impact both ends of the floor. Coach Kidd remarked: \u201cThat\u2019s D-Lo at his best. Being able to play-make, score, and then find guys.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"D&#039;Angelo Russell (24 PTS 5 REB 6 AST) vs. Toronto Raptors | October 26, 2025\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gdPWAy-mMbU?start=35&#038;feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h3>Why This Performance Matters<\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/01\/31\/dangelo-russell-has-settled-post-lakers-drama-seasons\/\" target=\"_self\">Russell\u2019s breakout<\/a> goes beyond one night. Individually, it <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2024\/08\/15\/why-the-lakers-should-not-trade-dangelo-russell\/\" target=\"_self\">reaffirmed his value<\/a> after a season of limited opportunities. For the Mavericks, his veteran IQ adds immediate upside in a \u201cwin-now\u201d context. Kidd\u2019s trust signals that Russell may take on a larger role, especially as point guard depth remains fluid. Beyond the stats, the shift in bench energy, locker room morale, and Russell\u2019s composure points to a positive change in team momentum.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_164422\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-164422\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-164422 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D'Angelo Russell (5) drives to the basket past Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2025\/10\/USATSI_27427609_168402037_lowres-1200x800.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-164422\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Oct 26, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard D&#8217;Angelo Russell (5) drives to the basket past Toronto Raptors guard Immanuel Quickley (5) during the second half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3>The Next Chapter<\/h3>\n<p>Redemption is more than a single game. To sustain this impact, Russell must consistently perform, whether starting or coming off the bench. Embracing his role and elevating teammates through smart decision-making will define his value. Remaining healthy and engaged is crucial for this Mavericks roster, which has ambitions for a deep playoff run.<\/p>\n<h3>The Last Word<\/h3>\n<p>That fadeaway three over <a  href=\"https:\/\/www.basketball-reference.com\/players\/b\/barrerj01.html\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">R.J. Barrett<\/a> was a statement. D\u2019Angelo Russell didn\u2019t come to Dallas to fill minutes; he came to reclaim his narrative. In a 139-129 win that signaled both personal redemption and renewed hope for the Mavericks, Russell took control. If he continues this trajectory, this night may mark not just a comeback but the launch of a significant role in <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2025\/10\/26\/3-underrated-mavericks-2025-26\/\" target=\"_self\">Dallas\u2019 2025-26 season<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a9 Jerome Miron-Imagn Images<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The D\u2019Angelo Russell narrative took a major turn after the Dallas Mavericks snatched a 139-129 victory over the Toronto Raptors. After a quiet start to the season and lingering questions about his role, Russell exploded for 24 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in just 29 minutes. The highlight came after missing his [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5679,"featured_media":164421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1608,30,62,3],"tags":[307,218],"class_list":["post-164386","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-basketball","category-mavericks","category-nba","category-news","tag-dangelo-russell","tag-jason-kidd"],"modified_by":"Jordan Pagkalinawan, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164386","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=164386"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":164423,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/164386\/revisions\/164423"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/164421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=164386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=164386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=164386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}