LOS ANGELES _ Exactly a week from his last start, D'Angelo Russell had a point to make.
Boy, did he.
After three games coming off the bench, Russell started again for the first time in a week. In the Los Angeles Lakers 125-120 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers (46-23), he notched his first career 40-point game. Against the defending NBA champions at full strength, Russell scored a career high 40 points, with a career high 14 field goals and made a career high-tying seven three-pointers.
Behind him the Lakers (20-50) gave the Cleveland Cavaliers fits. Ultimately, the Eastern Conference favorites prevailed.
A day after Cleveland rested its star trio of Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and LeBron James, all three played. Irving scored 46 points. James scored 10 points in the game's final five minutes and six seconds, with 34 overall. Love contributed 21 points before leaving the game in the second half.
It was the first time all of the Lakers' five starters scored in double figures since their Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Clippers, and the highest-scoring game for the Lakers starters all season.
