Since Rui Hachimura joined the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers, they’ve been winning more games. His scoring helps the team in their final push for seeding.
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But the last two home games didn’t go well. They lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves and then to the Golden State Warriors. LeBron James and Anthony Davis were missing in both games.
The Warriors made 23 3-pointers, which is tough to beat in today’s NBA. The game against the Warriors had big implications for seeding. Hachimura talked about the mood in the locker room after the disappointing loss.
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“It was a tough game for us,” said Hachimura. “We were trying to figure out who’s gonna play or not tonight. And we, I think, as a team, we don’t have energy tonight starting from the from the beginning of the game.
Rui Hachimura mentioned rebounding and rim protection as areas where they missed Davis
And I think we, as a team, we just didn’t bring it the way that we used to a couple games ago. We were rolling, we are playing together, but we didn’t do that tonight.”
Without Davis for two games against the Warriors, it’s clear the Lakers miss him, especially on defense. Hachimura mentioned rebounding and rim protection as areas where they missed Davis the most.
“I think the rebounding for sure,” he said. “On the rebound side, Golden State is a smaller team, but they are a really good rebounding team.
So we kind of focus on that, I think we did a good job on the rebound side. But, I think the protecting the rim, when AD is on the court, like he is always behind us, protecting everything.
Rui Hachimura and the rest of the team will be ready to step up
… Especially this team, we have to take away something, and especially they are a three-point team so and then when we denied them, you know, of course, the rim are gonna be wide open, and there was nobody really protecting tonight, that kind of hurt us for sure.”
With James and Davis in and out of the lineup, it’s bad timing as the regular season ends. But the Lakers need to win their final two games to avoid the bottom half of the Play-In Tournament.
Hopefully, Hachimura and the rest of the team will be ready to step up.
Playing Without LeBron James & Anthony Davis
The NBA is tough, and the Lakers are feeling it now. Despite recent success, things are getting harder with their two top players sick. Hachimura talked about the challenges of playing without James and Davis, who are crucial for the team.
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