LOS ANGELES _ After he hit the shot, when the game ended with the Los Angeles Lakers on top, D'Angelo Russell ran amid all the joyous cacophony, through the shimmering streamers falling from the rafters, past nearly 19,000 screaming people who had no idea what this meant to him.
He ran right into his brothers' arms and they stayed there, celebrating and mourning Pamela Russell. She was their grandmother. They woke up Sunday morning to the news that she had died.
This was for her.
"She was a strong woman," Russell said, still overcome. "She did a great job raising my dad. Piggybacking off that my dad did a great job raising his sons and his kids in general. Being a great father. That's what she was put on this Earth for."
On Sunday, Russell played the hero for the Lakers, who beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-109, on a buzzer-beating three-pointer. Russell's shot came off a rebound from a miss by Metta World Peace. It sailed through the air, bounced on the rim, then hung suspended in the air for a beat before falling gracefully through the net.
"That's just God, honestly," Russell said. "I just wanted the win. At the end of the day I just wanted the win. For me to win the game with a game-winning shot, that's just God putting the cherry on top. A win would've been good enough."
Russell finished with 16 points on six-for-19 shooting. Tyler Ennis led the Lakers with a team-high 20 points. Andrew Wiggins scored 41 while Karl-Anthony Towns scored 40 for the Timberwolves.
Russell wasn't even sure he'd play on Sunday. He planned to fly home to Louisville, Ky., instead, on a 2 p.m. flight.
He told his family he just wanted to get away from the game, uninterested in the release basketball can sometimes provide.
They convinced him it was what she would have wanted.
Ultimately he agreed.
Russell sent a text message to Lakers coach Luke Walton telling him he planned to play. They walked into the arena together around 4:30 p.m. and Walton listened as Russell told him how much his grandmother meant to him.
"You could tell he was hurt," Walton said. "You could tell it was painful for him. It wasn't easy to talk about but you could see how much love he had for her when he was speaking about her, which was kind of awesome to see.
"I don't know if he realized it or not. There was a lot of love he had for that woman at least when he was speaking about her. I was just there to let him know whatever he needed we'd be there for him."
While he wasn't shooting well at the beginning of the game, Russell contributed defensively. He took a charge. He altered shots. He kept himself active.
Minnesota guard Ricky Rubio, who scored a career high in points against the Lakers two weeks ago in Minneapolis, missed his first six shots Sunday. The Lakers took advantage of his cold start and led by eight points after one quarter. Both teams made runs and by the start of the fourth quarter, the Lakers trailed by two.
That's when World Peace entered the game to a raucous ovation. The crowed piqued in anticipation every time he seemed poised to shoot and he didn't disappoint them. World Peace made two three pointers and quickly had eight points.
It was his chance, first, to play the hero on what might be his second-to-last game in a Lakers uniform, or perhaps the NBA after spending two decades with the organization. World Peace was open in the corner right in front of the Timberwolves bench. He got the ball and kicked his leg several times before taking a shot that missed.
Julius Randle took the rebound and threw it over to Russell who scored as time expired and caused an eruption after the Lakers' fourth win in a row.
"I get goose bumps even talking about the way the game ended," Walton said. "How awesome for him on such a tough day where obviously basketball is nothing in the big picture of what he's dealing with, with the death of a family member that was from talking to him, very close and a big part of the family.
"To see him run and jump into the crowd afterward and find his family. What a special moment."
