Dorian Finney-Smith recently made a subtle jab at the Brooklyn Nets while complimenting the Los Angeles Lakers' medical staff.

Russell of course is a two-time member of both the Lakers and the Nets, and was making his first return to Los Angeles since the team dealt him to Brooklyn last month. After missing the game winner, Russell took to X with a cryptic message that had Nets fans buzzing. “Muted emotion,” wrote Russell in his post.

Nets guard Cam Thomas suffered a left hamstring strain last month and was expected to be re-evaluated when the team returned from its six-game West Coast swing.

Here are three Brooklyn Nets takeaways from Friday's 102-101 loss at the Los Angeles Lakers in D'Angelo Russell's return to Los Angeles.

The veteran forward has been limited – and away from the team briefly – since he was acquired in a late-December trade, but he was cleared for more minutes ahead of Tuesday’s game.

Last month, the Lakers ditched the expiring contract of point guard D'Angelo Russell, second-year forward Maxwell Lewis, and three future second round draft picks, sending them to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for 3-and-D small forward Dorian Finney-Smith and microwave scoring guard Shake Milton.

Former Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges returns to Barclays Center on Tuesday for the first time as a Knick. The New York Knicks acquired the 6-6 forward in a seismic pre-draft deal that sent Bojan Bogdanovic,

It surprised everyone. One of Adrian Wojnarowski's final tweets was about the New York Knicks trading for Mikal Bridges. There was speculation about the Knicks acquiring the final Villanova piece (at the time), but nobody thought the Nets would agree to a trade.

Even though there's a need for depth, people around the league think that the Lakers may not go all in at the deadline.

But for all the questions about the Lakers' offensive personnel and approach, their defense has been the much bigger issue. They got carved up by the Clippers in Sunday's defeat a

Reaves eased concerns after the game, saying his knee felt fine and that he plans to suit up for the Lakers’ next matchup against the Wizards on Tuesday.