Nets' Forward Talks About Impact of D'Angelo Russell's Injury

On Thursday night, the Brooklyn Nets welcomed the Cleveland Cavaliers into the Barclays Center as they looked to start the post-All-Star Break half of their season with a win that would put them one game closer to the Play-In Tournament.

Despite the Nets trailing the Cavaliers in the first quarter, they would ignite for 31 points in the second, which would put them ahead at halftime by two points, with a lot of the offensive load coming from Cameron Johnson and Keon Johnson, with the partnership pairing for 17 points.

While that partnership led Brooklyn's scoring numbers in the opening two quarters, D'Angelo Russell managed to be a source of playmaking, dishing out three assists in the first half alone. The first two quarters weren't easy for Russell as he struggled to find success from the field, only converting on one of his six shots, with his only make coming from beyond the arch.

Despite coming out in the third quarter and adding two more assists to his tally against the Cavaliers, Russell would leave the game early after he appeared to hurt his ankle while driving down the lane. This would mark the downward point for the Nets' night, as they would go on to drop the match against the Cavaliers, 110-97, with Donovan Mitchell's 26 points being too much to handle for the hosts.

Following the match, the aforementioned Johnson discussed the impact of Russell's early exit, expressing that he's a prominent voice for the team, which is never easy to play without.

"Veteran leader of this team, kinda keeps things calm and centered," explained Johnson. "For him to go down, it's tough..."

In the action following Russell's departure from the court, the Cavaliers would go on a 28-11 run, which would smother the efforts of the rest of the Nets' efforts, which was something that Johnson didn't anticipate to happen given the quality of their roster.

"I think we got capable guys across the board, I don't think it still should have gotten out of hand, but sometimes it happens," stated the 28-year-old.

Going into the Nets' match against the Sixers' on Saturday night, Russell is slated to miss the match due to the ankle sprain he suffered on Thursday night, which means Keon and the recently signed Killian Hayes could be due for bigger minutes.

The match between the Nets and Sixers is set to tip-off at 7:30 p.m. EST on Saturday night.

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