The Los Angeles Lakers got back in the win column with a 113-104 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, led by the return of Anthony Davis and debut of Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura came off the bench and scored his first points from the free-throw line before settling in and displaying his all-around skills on the court. He scored on the fastbreak, knocked down a pair of midrange jumpers and even hit a 3.
Hachimura finished his night with 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting and had six rebounds and one assist in 21 minutes of action. “Yeah, I loved it,” Hachimura said of the energy in Crypto.com Arena.
“Yeah, I loved the energy out there. I think defensively, we were pretty good today. Got a lot of steals and got up and down in transition for easy points. So yeah, but the energy out there was really good. And yeah, was the first one for me. So yeah, it was good.”
When the Washington Wizards traded Hachimura to the Lakers for Kendrick Nunn and three second-round draft picks, it reunited him with Thomas Bryant and Russell Westbrook.
Hachimura acknowledged his familiarity with those players while expressing excitement to play with LeBron James and Davis. “I liked it,” Hachimura began. “Of course, LeBron, and Russ, I’ve played with Russ so I know how he plays.
“Of course they can score, but they can also pass the ball, they can make other teammates look easy. I had a couple of easy looks. So yeah, I think it’s gonna be great.”
Hachimura scored his second bucket on a fastbreak from James and had a big smile on his face afterward. “Yeah, just enjoying the moment,” Hachimura said.
“I like to play fast. Obviously, here, the Lakers, they like to play fast. So I think it’s a great fit for me. I like to run. Everybody can pass, everybody can push the ball, so I can push the ball. So yeah, I think it’s great.”
Rui Hachimura explains what he will bring to Lakers
During his introductory press conference with the Lakers, Hachimura explained what he will bring to the table. “I think for me, I think I can shoot the ball from three and midrange. I can attack the rim,” Hachimura said.
“Even off the ball, cutting and stuff is good for me. And yeah, I can get a rebound and pushing the ball and stuff. So I can do a lot of stuff. And I think this can be great.”
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