Entering the second half against the Hornets, the Lakers were in a tight contest. LA was ahead by two possessions, but on the road, that is far from a comfortable lead.
Rui Hachimura made sure that things went in LA’s favor with his play in the third and fourth quarters.
His scoring ability is a large reason why the forward is a starter. In the second half against Charlotte, he was literally perfect from the field.
Hachimura went 7-7 in the third and fourth quarters, hitting shots from all his favorite spots. He made three 3-pointers, converting at the top of the key, the wing and the corner.
Inside the arc, Hachimura scored at the rim, made a bucket from the elbow and even hit a couple of midrange jumpers.
Thanks to this performance, the Lakers were able to maintain control and defeat the Hornets 121-111.
“When he’s in a rhythm offensively shooting the basketball, you just feel like it’s going in every time,” head coach JJ Redick said after the win. “And outside of the Atlanta game, it pretty much has been going in every time.”
This elite level of shooting has become commonplace for Hachimura. He’s shooting 58% from the field, which is a career best for Hachimura. From deep, he is making 52% of his shots, which leads the team if you take away Jaxson Hayes, who is shooting 100% from 3-point range since he’s only had one attempt.
The offensive production is expected, but it was Rui’s defense that was equally impressive against the Hornets. He was all over the place, defending well on the perimeter, communicating and handling his switches.
Even on-ball, Hachimura was a disruptor. At the 8:26 mark, he stepped out and reached in to grab the ball from Kon Knueppel, forcing a jump ball situation. The Lakers retained possession, and Hachimura hit a 3-pointer to extend LA’s lead and force Charlotte to call a timeout.
“I’m proud of the Samurai,” Marcus Smart said. “I’m proud of my guy. Rui’s been doing such a good job on the offensive end. To see him pick it up on the defensive end has been a fresh breath of air for everybody. We knew he could do it and he knows he could do it. And we’re glad to see him accepting that and using his ability to be able to play both ends, offensively and defensively.”
The bulk of the attention when it comes to the Lakers will always go to LeBron James, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. However, within the team, they recognize the impact Hachimura has on LA’s success.
“Nobody talks about him, but he deserves a lot of credit in our wins,” Luka said. “He’s been amazing for us and the way he plays like every game, it just helps us a lot, especially to win games.”
In a season that’s begun with a lot of instability due to players missing games, Hachimura has been as consistent as they come. He has played and started in every contest for the Lakers.
If he continues to aggressively look for his shot and maintain this level of defensive activity, this will be a career year for Rui. And with his playing reaching new levels, that raises this team’s ceiling. All signs indicate that’s currently the most likely outcome.
You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.