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Saturday was a big day for former Ohio State basketball star D’Angelo Russell. Not only was it the guard’s 23rd birthday, but he also tied his career scoring-high (40 points) en route to helping his Brooklyn Nets come back against the Charlotte Hornets.
When the game was on the line, @Dloading took matters into his own hands.
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) February 24, 2019
A career-high-tying 4️⃣0️⃣ points for DLo on his 23rd birthday pic.twitter.com/FDYmpzURXf
Trailing by 111-103 with 3:12 remaining, after the Nets’ Joe Harris hit a pair of free throws, Russell scored 12 straight points for Brooklyn, enough to eek out a thrilling 117-115 victory on the road. The victory gets the Nets to one game over .500 (31-30).
In addition to Russell’s 40 points, he turned in seven assists as well. On the season, he is averaging 20.2 points, 6.7 assists per game, and 1.1 steals per contest, all of which lead the squad. He also made the first All-Star team of his career in 2019 as well.
The Nets currently sit at sixth in the NBA’s Eastern Conference, now two games clear of the Hornets in seventh.
Congratulations and Happy Birthday, DLo!