Lakers' D'Angelo Russell Rips Pacers' Bruce Brown 'Talking S--t'; 'Jokić Ain't There'

Los Angeles Lakers point guard D'Angelo Russell says he's a "fan" of Indiana Pacers forward Bruce Brown, but he certainly didn't act like it Saturday night.

Russell repeatedly went at Brown in the Lakers' NBA In-Season Tournament Championship win over the Pacers on Saturday, saying it was a result of Brown talking about him during last season's playoffs.

"He was talking s--t all year. Yeah. Talking s--t all year. For me, it was just showing it with my play. I don't have nothing to say to him. I'm a fan of him to be honest," Russell told Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times. "This was just all on the court. Got something to say? Show me on the court. [Nikola] Jokic ain't there next to you today. It's different."

Brown was stellar during the Denver Nuggets' sweep of the Lakers during the Western Conference Finals, frustrating an underperforming Russell in the process.

"He's not the best defender, but he definitely tries," Brown said at the time.

Brown parlayed his strong playoff run into a two-year, $45 million deal with the Pacers over the summer but did not perform well Saturday night. He made just two of his nine field-goal attempts, finishing with four points, two rebounds and one assist in 19 minutes.

Russell finished with 13 points and seven assists in the Lakers' 123-109 blowout victory. Anthony Davis had 41 points and 20 rebounds to lead the way as Los Angeles won the first ever In-Season Tournament.