Joey Ramirez

none

With both defenses in All-Star Break mode, the Lakers had the right amount of offensive firepower to overwhelm Utah and continue their flaming start to February.

As LeBron James (left ankle) watched from home, Anthony Davis and Rui Hachimura made for a defense-destroying duo in the Lakers’ 138-122win, which put them at a 6-1 beginning to the month.

The Jazz had no answer for Davis at the rim, as he racked up 37 points and 15 rebounds. Meanwhile, Hachimura caught fire from across the floor with a career-high 36 points, as the pair became the first Lakers teammates to score 35+ points in the same game since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2003.

While Davis hit a handful of rangy jumpers, it was his size and athleticism that carried the day against the Jazz, whose lack of rim protection contributed to four rim-shaking dunks from the big man.

Meanwhile, Hachimura was in flamethrower mode, hitting a personal-best six 3-pointers. Though he was deadly from outside, he too also bullied the smaller Jazz defenders, using his strength to body his way to the basket consistently while mixing in some acrobatic finishes and finishing 13-of-19 from the field.

Hachimura wasn’t the only Laker to set a career-high, as D’Angelo Russell passed out 17 assists — two more than his previous mark. Russell, who has been scorching as both a scorer and passer of late, also arrived to the doorstep of a triple-double with 11 points and nine rebounds.

And with so many ridiculous statlines on the night, it could be easy to overlook the efficient contributions of Austin Reaves, who had a 22-point, seven-assist game while hitting 9-of-13 field goals.

The Lakers will now have seven days between games for All-Star — where they will be represented by Davis and James — before beginning their final 26-game stretch with a trip to see the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 22.

The Lakers currently sit one game above Golden State for ninth place in the Western Conference.

ruis-career-night-propels-lakers-past-jazz

Rui’s Career Night Propels Lakers Past Jazz

The threes were falling, the celebrations were out, and the Lakers continued to flaunt a sizzling offense in their return to Crypto.com Arena five months after their prior season ended in the Western Conference Finals.&nbsp;

While visiting Golden State came away with a 129-125 preseason victory, the Lakers controlled the majority of the starters’ minutes and took a seven-point lead into halftime. From there, both teams began emptying their benches. In fact, LeBron James even changed into street clothes at half, with his fellow starters joining him on the bench shortly thereafter.

James and co. were in top gear in that first half, scoring 70 points by intermission on 54.8% shooting with 10 3-pointers — despite missing Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Cam Reddish due to various ailments. Head coach Darvin Ham highlighted that the team had 18 assists on 23 baskets at the half.&nbsp;

Part of this success could, of course, be traced back to LeBron, who was effective in his 18 minutes of action, flashing his jumper and kickout passing en route to 12 points and five assists. &nbsp;

However, it was newcomer Taurean Prince who stepped into the spotlight, scoring a team-best 17 points on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point distance, plus a sweet steal into a Eurostep layup. The eight-year veteran has been shooting with confidence over his last two games, both of which he started.&nbsp;

Afterward, Prince’s coach praised him for his versatility.

“He’s a pro’s pro,” Ham said. “Strong. He’s the quintessential 3 and D guy. … [He’s] a guy who doesn’t have to force anything.”

All five Lakers starters scored in double figures. Austin Reaves was his usual efficient-yet-flashy self, scoring 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting while mixing in a left-handed and-1 circus shot and a two-handed slam.&nbsp;

Anthony Davis was part of the team’s great ball movement, providing 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. And D’Angelo Russell continued his fiery start to the preseason with 12 points and six assists.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Christian Wood added 13 points and seven rebounds off the bench in only 13 minutes — giving fans a tase of his microwave scoring potential by hitting a few jumpers to complement his more traditional big-man moves down low.&nbsp;

A Long Beach native and childhood Lakers fan, Wood found special feeling in playing in front of the team’s home crowd for the first time.&nbsp;

“It was amazing,” Wood said. “My mom was here and my son was here. It felt great just to be out there.”&nbsp;

However, the Warriors were able to spoil the Lakers’ return to their home arena by outscoring their hosts by 11 over the second half. Jonathan Kuminga was in high-flier mode for the visitors, scoring 26 points on 9-of-12 shooting. A lineup of Lakers rookies went back-and-forth with the Warriors in the final minutes, but Kuminga was able to lead his team to victory in that final stretch.&nbsp;

lakers-stay-sharp-despite-preseason-loss-to-warriors-10-13-23

Lakers' Offense Continues to Soar Despite Preseason Loss to Warriors

2022-23 Season SummaryAcquired by the Lakers in January, Rui Hachimura quickly became a fan favorite in the Purple and Gold. The fourth-year pro gave the Lakers a blend of size, strength and skill that paid dividends on both ends, particularly in the playoffs. All of Hachimura’s key scoring metrics — points, field goal percentage, 3-point percentage, and free throw percentage — rose significantly in the playoffs, as he was instrumental to the Lakers’ series victory over the Grizzlies.&nbsp;

By the Numbers50.0: Percentage shot from mid-range in the regular season, which ranked fifth in the entire NBA.&nbsp;

48.7: Playoff 3-point percentage — which was best on the team and 19.1% higher than what he shot in the regular season.

29: Points scored in a Game 1 win over Memphis, which tied Mychal Thompson’s franchise record for most off the bench in a playoff game.

Moving ForwardHachimura showed immense value in his four months with the Lakers. At 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, he provided a sizable presence defensively. And on offense, he was a constant threat with his jumper, never hesitating to pull the trigger if he had some daylight, while also being a frequent lane-runner in transition. He will be a restricted free agent this offseason.&nbsp;

end-of-season-interviews-rui-hachimura-5-23-23

End of Season Interviews - Rui Hachimura (5-23-23)

rui-hachimura-2022-23-season-highlights

Rui Hachimura 2022-23 Season Highlights

rui-hachimura-2023-lakers-player-capsule

Rui Hachimura 2023 Lakers Player Capsule

It was the biggest party Downtown L.A. has seen in years — the Lakers and 18,997 of their closest friends.&nbsp;

Coming off a loss in Memphis, yet with a series victory in their sights, the Lakers pulverized the Grizzlies by 40 points in one of the most lopsided games in franchise playoff history.

In knocking off second-seeded Memphis, the Lakers became the first seven seed to win their first-round series in 13 years. They also became the lowest-seeded team in franchise history to advance.&nbsp;

L.A.’s low seed was due mostly to a 2-10 start to the season that they spent the entire season trying to crawl out of. Since the All-Star Break, they have a league-best 21-9 record. They will begin their second-round series against the winner of Golden State-Sacramento on Tuesday.&nbsp;

“It doesn’t stop here,” Anthony Davis said in his walk-off interview with ESPN. “We’re not satisfied. We’re happy we were able to get to the second round, but weren’t satisfied. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

After losing in Game 5, Davis told reporters that he was ready to play all 48 minutes if needed. He ended up needing only 28, as the Lakers bullied the Grizzlies all night long.&nbsp;

Davis — who was a behemoth defensively all series — utterly destroyed Memphis on both sides of the ball. He finished with 16 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks in his limited time, but those all-encompassing numbers fail to illustrate his dominance.&nbsp;

He was relentless attacking the basket, throwing down several dunks, including a poster alley-oop over Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.

But he was arguably more impressive on the other side, raising his series total to 26 blocks — the most by any player in a six-game playoff span since Serge Ibaka 13 years ago.

“He was AD,” LeBron James said. “Basketball guys know. The competitions knows. How dominant he is defensively. He was AD. He was spectacular.”&nbsp;

Spectacular is underselling it. Davis’ presence in the paint was a large reason the Grizzlies failed to find any traction, including their all-star duo of Jackson and Ja Morant, who combined to shoot just 6-of-28 from the field.&nbsp;

The Grizzlies’ 85 points were the fewest allowed by the Lakers all season. And, led by Davis, the Purple and Gold tied their franchise record with 15 blocks.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, James held up his end of the bargain as well, dropping 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting with six assists. The 20-year veteran even threw down an acrobatic reverse dunk to cap the first half onslaught.&nbsp;

LeBron’s fireworks were part of an interior domination that saw the Lakers outscore their visitors 52-32 in the paint and 24-14 on fast-breaks.&nbsp;

While Davis and James took care of business inside, D’Angelo Russell was a one-man battalion from behind the arc.&nbsp;

He finished with the greatest game of his playoff career, dropping a personal-best 31 points, which included five 3-pointers — all during the Lakers’ second-half tidal wave.&nbsp;

But he wasn’t going to let his teammates have all of the fun inside, also attacking off the dribble for several mid-range pull ups and short-range paint jumpers.&nbsp;

Now Russell and co. will look to continue their winning ways against the second-seeded Kings or defending-champion Warriors.&nbsp;

“This thing is just getting started,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “We passed level one. Now we’ve got to start shifting our focus to whoever comes out of that game on Sunday. … We have to be the best versions of ourselves.”&nbsp;

lakers-eliminate-grizzlies-with-40-point-rout-04-28-23

Lakers Eliminate Grizzlies with 40-Point Rout

Roughly halfway through the opening round of the 2023 playoffs, nobody has provided a bigger punch off the bench than Rui Hachimura.&nbsp;

The first-year Laker currently leads the postseason in bench scoring with 21.7 points per game, on an ultra-efficient clip of 66.7% from the field and 75.0% from 3-point range.&nbsp;

Hachimura’s consistency has him reaching a new accolade every night.

Game 1: Tied Mychal Thompson’s franchise playoff bench scoring record. Game 2: First Laker since Magic Johnson (1996) with back-to-back 20-point playoff games off the bench. Game 3: First Laker in 15 years (Luke Walton) with three straight bench playoff games of 15+ points.&nbsp;

This blistering start to the playoffs is at least somewhat surprising for Hachimura, who averaged 11.2 points and 31.9% shooting from 3-point distance in the regular season. But the fourth-year pro has been true from distance to start this series, shooting 9-of-12 from deep.&nbsp;

Most impressively, Hachimura has shown zero hesitancy with letting it fly on the biggest stage of his young career. All nine of his treys have been no-dribble, catch-and-shoot attempts. He has consistently punished the Grizzlies for cheating off of him to provide help on other players like LeBron James and Anthony Davis.&nbsp;

“I’ve been practicing this shot the whole year,” Hachimura said after helping the Lakers go up 2-1 on Saturday. “I was waiting for this moment. I am just more confident shooting those 3s and everybody keeps encouraging me to shoot those 3s and be ready.”

For as effective as Hachimura’s outside shooting has been, his inside game has been, well, perfect. He has made all 10 of his shot attempts inside the restricted area (6-of-6 on layups, 4-of-4 on dunks).&nbsp;

And while his 3s have all been uniform, pure spot-up attempts, his attacks at the rim have come in a variety of flavors.&nbsp;

He’s scrapped for some put-backs on the offensive glass. He’s broken out his handles for some hand-switching drives to the hoop. And he dropped the meanest bucket of the series in Game 1, printing out a poster co-starring Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.&nbsp;

A solid finisher in the regular season, Rui’s biggest question mark moving forward is whether his 3-point shot can continue to thrive. For his career, he averages at 34.7% from deep. But he’s been known to go on extended hot streaks, like last season, when his percentage (44.7%) ranked second among players with at least 120 attempts.&nbsp;

Plus, Hachimura has yet to unlock his signature mid-range game. After hitting the league’s fifth-best mark in the regular season (50.0%), he’s started this series just 2-of-8 from this area.&nbsp;

But that hasn’t stopped the rest of his game from blossoming.&nbsp;

“I told him just think free,” head coach Darvin Ham said at Sunday’s practice. “Don’t bog yourself down with what you’re supposed to do and what you’re doing wrong. Just go out ready to compete. Be assertive, be aggressive, have fun, attack all facets of the game on both sides of the ball.”

That aggressive mindset has him making history, individually and along with the team. The Lakers ended Sunday’s opening frame with a 26-point advantage — tying the NBA playoffs record for biggest first-quarter lead.

And who was it that raced ahead of the pack for the history-making dunk at the end of the period? You already know.&nbsp;

rui-hachimura-providing-lakers-historic-spark-off-the-bench-042423

Rui Hachimura Providing Lakers Historic Spark Off the Bench

The Lakers (41-38) look to keep their streak going and clinch a winning season against the LA Clippers (41-38) in a battle with massive postseason seeding implications. The game tips off on the Clippers’ court at 7:00 p.m. PT on ESPN, Spectrum SportsNet, and ESPN Radio 710.&nbsp;

The Race for 6thThere have been some highly anticipated Lakers-Clippers matchups in recent years — from Opening Night to Christmas Day to the first game of the 2020 Bubble restart. But no game between L.A. teams has been more important playoffs-wise than this one. 

With only three games left in the season, the teams find themselves locked into a tie for 6th place in the West. And the difference between 6th and 7th is huge, with the former getting to bypass the Play-In scenario and go straight to the playoffs.&nbsp;

The Lakers come into this meeting playing some of their best ball of the season, winning four straight and seven of their last eight. But they are also on tired legs, having played into overtime last night in Salt Lake City, the final leg of a four-game road trip.

LeBron James has ramped up of late, with his last two outings being a triple-double and 37-point night. Similar trajectory for Anthony Davis, the reigning conference Player of the Week, who’s averaging 34.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 61.0% FG during the Lakers’ streak. But both players — and D’Angelo Russell — are question marks to play on this second part of a back-to-back.&nbsp;

Hello Brodie Adding to the storylines of the night is Russell Westbrook, who will be facing his former team for the first time since the Lakers traded him two months ago. 

A sixth man for the Lakers, Westbrook has started all of his games for the Clippers, including in a larger role over the last six games in which Paul George has been out with a sprained knee.&nbsp;

Westbrook’s passing has blossomed with this added opportunity, notching double-digit assists in each of his last four games. Meanwhile, his scoring has ranged from simmering to scorching, putting up 12, 36, 4, and 24 points in these four matchups.&nbsp;

While Russ will get plenty of attention from his old teammates, it’s obviously paramount for the Lakers to key in on corralling Kawhi Leonard, who dropped 40 points in the Clippers’ last game four days ago. While LAC lost that matchup to New Orleans, they enter tonight with fresh legs compared to the Lakers, who played well into the night yesterday.&nbsp;

Saucetin’ Reaves One of the joys of the Lakers’ season has been the saucy play of Austin Reaves, who has taken his game to another level over the past month. 

It can be easy to forget that Reaves is still just a sophomore with the way that his game has opened up this season. He has scored double-digits in 15 straight games (averaging 18.8 points in that stretch) — the longest such streak of any Laker other than LeBron and AD since 2019.&nbsp;

With great body control, underrated ball handling, and a knack for drawing contact, Reaves has been a foul magnet over his last eight games, attempting 8.0 free throws a night and hitting 90.6% of them. But his play outside the whistles has been arguably more impressive.&nbsp;

Reaves has been a legitimate three-level threat for the Lakers this season. Of the nine players who have taken at least 100 3s for the team, Austin is shooting a team-best 39.1% from deep. He’s also at 44.2% from mid-range (an area that has sneakily been key for the Lakers).

But the crown jewel of Reaves’ resume has been his play at the cup. With a blend of craft, control, and strength, Reaves has been arguably the game’s best finisher this year. He’s shot 72.4% on layups this season — No. 1 in the entire league.&nbsp;

3-things-to-know-lakers-at-clippers-4-5-23

Three Things to Know: Lakers at Clippers 4-5-23

As he said a month ago, it’s like D’Angelo Russell never left.&nbsp;

The 27-year-old returned from a six-game absence as a human firework show, pouring in 28 points and nine assists to lead the Lakers to a come-from-behind 122-112 victory over Toronto.&nbsp;

Russell was at his best when it mattered most, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter alone on a perfect 5-for-5 clip from the field. The Crypto.com Arena crowd erupted as D’Angelo dropped one clutch bucket after another, cementing a comeback from multiple double-digit deficits.&nbsp;

“The fans are ready to explode at a certain point of the game,” Russell said. “They’re ready. I know that. I just want to bring that energy and give them that. I want to be the guy that’s hyping up the crowd and letting them feel that more because it’s huge for us.”

For as deafening as the arena ended up in the fourth quarter, it was absolutely muted to begin the game as the Raptors jumped out to a 25-10 lead only six minutes in.&nbsp;

The Lakers responded with a massive second quarter on offense, pouring in 39 points — led by Russell, Dennis Schröder, and Rui Hachimura — to take an eight-point lead into the half.&nbsp;

But the good vibes quickly evaporated, with Toronto beginning the back half with a 25-5 run that had the Lakers reeling offensively.&nbsp;

Enter Russell, who was masterful as L.A.’s lead guard, using his crafty stop-and-go ball handling to compromise the defense and carve out space for himself and others. And use that space he did, splashing five 3-pointers on eight attempts (including four in the fourth quarter).

But on a night when Anthony Davis scored an uncharacteristic eight points on seven attempts, it took a village to deliver the Lakers’ victory.&nbsp;

Russell’s fellow point guard, Schröder, also picked apart the Raptors’ defense with 23 points and seven assists. Moving to the bench due to D’Angelo’s return, Schröder was a pest on both sides of the ball, picking up four steals and ending up with a +32 plus-minus in his 33 minutes on the court.&nbsp;

Austin Reaves — king of the and-1 bucket — added in 18 points and five assists with six made free throws (on a night when the Lakers went 19-for-19 at the stripe). Hachimura and Jarred Vanderbilt both had their moments and scored 16 points apiece.&nbsp;

The Lakers (33-34) have now won four of their last five games and find themselves a half-game back of eighth place in the West. They continue their trek on Sunday with a visit from New York (39-29), which has won eight of 10.&nbsp;

russells-28-points-fuels-lakers-comeback-03-10-23

Russell's 28 Points Fuels Lakers' Comeback

The Lakers (31-34) look to continue their playoff push — and honor a legend — during tonight’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies (38-25). The game tips off at 7:00 pm PT on Spectrum SportsNet, TNT, and 710 ESPN Radio.

Below are three things to know about the matchup:&nbsp;

AD-OMINANT With LeBron James out due to a foot injury, Anthony Davis has fully embraced the role as L.A.’s leading man. Over his last four games, AD is averaging 33.8 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 3.0 blocks. 

During this stretch, he has been a colossus in the paint, where he’s shooting 65.1% thanks to his consistent pressure on the rim and his ability to hit short, odd-angle jumpers from just outside the restricted area. Opponents have had migraines simply trying to contest Davis in the key, as he’s averaged 12.3 free throw attempts during the four-game stretch. An excellent rebounder, he also leads the NBA in second-chance points for the season.

Now Davis could be getting some reinforcements in D’Angelo Russell, who is listed as questionable after missing the last five contests due to an ankle sprain. But the Lakers (and Davis) will also have to contend with a shorter big man rotation, as Mo Bamba is out with an ankle sprain of his own.&nbsp;

With 17 games remaining, the Lakers have certainly reached the part of the season where every game takes on added magnitude — especially tonight, as they enter in a four-way tie for 9th place in the West.&nbsp;

SHORTHANDED GRIZZThe Lakers will get no sympathy on the availability front from the Grizzlies, who are without three of their key players. Ja Morant (not with team, personal reasons), Steven Adams (PCL sprain) and Brandon Clarke (Achilles tear) leave a sizable gap for Memphis.

Morant, in particular, will be a bear to replace. One of the most explosive players the league has ever seen, the 23-year-old All-Star currently ranks among the NBA’s top 10 in both scoring (27.1 points; 9th) and assists (8.2; 5th). His daredevil approach to attacking the rim has quickly made him one of the league’s great paint threats. But the Grizzlies, currently second in the West, will need to figure out a way without him.&nbsp;

In their first Morant-less contest on Sunday, they fell to the Clippers in a 135-129 barnburner. While their defense failed to corral Paul George (42 points) and Kawhi Leonard (34), they perhaps figured out some stopgaps on the other end.&nbsp;

Sharpshooter Desmond Bane led the way with 30 points, while Morant’s backup, Tyus Jones, added 25 points, 12 assists and five steals. Defensive Player of the Year candidate Jaren Jackson Jr. tossed in 24 points as well.&nbsp;

GRACIAS PAU Tonight, the Lakers will also be honoring one of their greatest players with one of their most sacred honors. At halftime, Pau Gasol will see his No. 16 retired by the club and raised into the rafters at Crypto.com Arena. 

Following Gasol’s arrival to the team in 2008, the Lakers made three straight trips to the NBA Finals, including back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. He made three All-Star teams in the Purple and Gold and was instrumental come playoff time. During Gasol’s tenure, the Lakers were 3-0 in Game 7s (including the 2010 Finals), and he averaged 21.0 points, 17.7 rebounds and 3.0 blocks in those winner-take-all contests.

Pau has been just as impressive as a human post-retirement. At last month’s All-Star Weekend, he received both the Bob Lanier Community Impact Award and the Kobe & Gigi Bryant WNBA Advocacy Award.&nbsp;

He will become just the 12th player in franchise history to receive the distinction of having his number retired.&nbsp;