Moments after his teammate hit a wide-open three with perfect ball movement, D'Angelo Russell looked at Taurean Prince in the corner of the Lakers' bench.
The ball swung wildly on Thursday. Russell looked at Prince and kissed him with both hands. It was Prince's signature celebration, his homage to the way the Lakers held their breath together as they have in recent months.
Russell was once again the center of attention, and in a 141-132 win over the Chicago Bulls, he literally jumped into halftime after Jared Vanderbilt's layup, praising his teammates for their accomplishments and running from the 3-point line. He happily took a shot from behind.
Russell's kissing, skipping, shooting and scoring all require the Lakers to take a close look at their situation.
Is this the person they really want to do business with?
Russell's heater, which has been running for the past two weeks, showed the best version of the player the Lakers acquired in a trade last season. His catch-and-shoot game is in rhythm, he has a knack for finding momentum plays, and his joy is undeniable.
His name has been involved in most of the substantial trade rumors, most notably the Lakers' acquisition of Atlanta's Dejounte Murray.
But with Russell back in the starting lineup next to Austin Reeves, the Lakers started playing with continuity and comfort over longer, more impactful stretches.
The team has nine consecutive games with at least 27 assists (35 on Thursday). Previously, the Lakers had accomplished that just 20 times this season.
But as has been the case all year long, nothing comes easy.
The good atmosphere the Lakers created in the first 36 minutes all but disappeared in the Final 12, as turnovers and fouls disrupted their rhythm and forced the Bulls back into the game.
Fortunately for the Lakers, there was no such thing as a fifth quarter, and their lead (at one point trailing by 24 points), coupled with clutch buckets from Anthony Davis and LeBron James, was enough to hold onto the lead.
James returned from a one-game absence and scored 25 points, Davis 22 points and Reaves 20 points. Vanderbilt scored 17 points off the bench, setting a season high for the Lakers.
The win capped off a friendly schedule in which the Lakers played 11 of 12 games at Crypto.com Arena and only left the state once (to play in Utah). Things will get tough again as the Lakers begin their annual Grammy trip on Saturday in the Golden State, with stops in Houston, Atlanta, Boston, New York and Charlotte before heading home.
The trip will also take them to the Feb. 8 trade deadline, when all decisions are finalized.
And if Russell and the Lakers keep playing like this, figuring out what's best for the future won't be as easy as it once was.
