Things weren’t looking good for the Lakers on Sunday before their game against the Blazers.

The team was on a three-game losing streak and with LeBron James sidelined, defeat seemed more likely, even though Portland entered this contest with a record of 8-15.

However, the Lakers found a way to win and ended their losing streak thanks to impressive performances from Anthony Davis, Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell.

The trio led the team in points and minutes played. They helped put the game away for good in the fourth by starting the frame with an 11-4 run.

After the win, AD mentioned how important Hachimura and Russell were to the success, especially after LeBron was eliminated.

“I mean, it’s next man up,” AD said. “That’s why we have a team, other guys had to step up. Rui stepped up. It was a last minute scratch, the boys prepared for it. Some guys had a chance to play a little more minutes than they normally would have and they did what they were supposed to do, a team effort.”

Russell is a polarizing player among fans, but his ability to control the offense and facilitate the ball was much needed in this game. He finished the night with 28 points and a team-high 14 assists.

He didn’t start, but the original five players JJ Redick started struggled to score. The Lakers were up 12-10 when D’Lo entered the game midway through the first period, but AD led Los Angeles to success, scoring 10 of those points.

Once Russell was in, he loosened up the stiff offense and there was a lot more ball movement and less reliance on AD to put points on the board themselves.

Hachimura also contributed on offense and showed one of his best performances of the season. He finished the game with 23 points, five rebounds and three steals.

During his postgame availability, Hachimura also talked about how hard it was to adjust to LeBron’s absence, but together they managed to do it and win.

“We found out right before the game (LeBron was going to be out),” Hachimura said. “So the coaches told me I had to attack tonight. So I was prepared for that and then I think as a team we moved the ball well. D’Lo was great. Of course AD and especially the other guys, Gabe, Max, Cam were very good defensively. That’s how we achieved this (win).

Roles can often change during an 82-game season, and it was good to see Hachimura and Russell step up after LeBron’s loss.

It’s unrealistic to expect numbers like that from these two on a regular basis, but it’s a luxury the Lakers have that this pair can play at this level when given the opportunity.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely this will be the last game where the Lakers are shorthanded and need someone to step up alongside LeBron and AD.

In case he didn’t know before, Redick has seen firsthand that Russell and Hachimura can be counted on to score points and give the Lakers an offensive boost when needed.

Hopefully, with four days off between games, LeBron will be back in action against the Wolves on Friday and the team can return to its ideal starting lineup as it looks to end 2024 on a positive note.

You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88.