Lakers' D'Angelo Russell Misses 2nd Half vs. Rockets as Precaution Due to Foot Injury

Los Angeles Lakers guard D'Angelo Russell missed the second half of Sunday's 134-109 victory over the Houston Rockets as a precaution after he experienced left foot soreness.

Lakers coach Darvin Ham told reporters, via The Athletic's Jovan Buha, that Russell could've played if needed.

Russell recorded six points, four assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes of action in the first half. The Lakers held a 70-60 lead at halftime when Russell was ruled out.

Los Angeles acquired Russell from the Minnesota Timberwolves at this year's trade deadline in hopes of adding a third scoring option behind the star duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. While the 27-year-old has been solid during his brief time with the Lakers, he missed a couple of weeks with a hip injury.

Russell managed to return on March 10 and put forth some strong performances. For the month of March, he averaged 20.0 points and 7.1 assists while shooting 40.3 percent from beyond the arc.

The Lakers had won five of their previous six matchups entering Sunday's contest against the Rockets. At 39-38, Los Angeles currently sits eighth in the Western Conference but is only 1.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the fifth spot.

If Russell misses any additional time, James and Austin Reaves are likely to assume more ball-handling duties. Veteran backup point guard Dennis Schröder can also be expected to see more minutes off the bench. The Lakers are surely hoping to be at full strength as they make a final push toward the playoffs.