Joey Ramirez

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;

3-things-to-know-lakers-vs-grizzlies-3-7-23

3 Things to Know: Lakers vs. Grizzlies (3/7/23)

After only 17 minutes of basketball, the Lakers were staring down the barrel of a 27-point deficit. Their 3-point shooting was in a full drought, and league scoring leader Luka Doncic was dissecting their defense.&nbsp;

Beloved across the league for his high-motor style of play, Vanderbilt was a one-man renewable energy source for the Lakers, who incredibly surged back for their biggest comeback since 2002 with a 111-108 win in Dallas.&nbsp;

“His activity,” Anthony Davis highlighted of Vanderbilt. “You can put him 1-5 defensively. He knows how to play when guys try to leave him.”&nbsp;

Vanderbilt was instrumental in myriad ways for the Lakers, but giving Doncic fits was perhaps the most challenging of his assignments. Vanderbilt — long-armed, big-bodied, and hyper-athletic — held Doncic (26 points) to 1-of-5 shooting in their matchups.&nbsp;

Sometimes he even prevented the four-time All-Star from even attempting a shot, like he did when he forced a turnover by Doncic with 15 seconds left and Dallas attempting to tie the game.&nbsp;

“That’s a tall task to try to manage that matchup,” head coach Darvin Ham said. “As skilled as Luka (is), one of the top five players in our league easily, hands down. (Vanderbilt) was up to the challenge. Just try to make it as difficult as possible for him.”&nbsp;

And he was impactful on the other side of the floor as well, finishing the game with 15 points, 17 rebounds and four steals. Eight of his boards were on the offensive end, as his remarkable willpower earned the Lakers much-needed extra possessions in their quest to become the first team this season (out of 139 who tried) to rally from 27 points or more. &nbsp;

“We’re a deep team,” Vanderbilt said. “We can win in a variety of ways. Like tonight we didn’t make no shots. … We kept playing, we kept fighting. We killed them on the glass and in transition.”&nbsp;

And while Vanderbilt was certainly at the center of it all, it helps to be flanked by two legends of the game in Anthony Davis and LeBron James.&nbsp;

Though the Lakers’ 3-point shooting (6-for-34) never resuscitated, AD and LeBron operated a demolition crew down low, which resulted in a 62-32 advantage in points in the paint.

Davis was everywhere for the Lakers, racking up 30 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and three blocks. He dominated his offensive matchup against Dwight Powell, using his length and ability to score at odd angles to rack up his scoring total.&nbsp;

Ham called Davis “emotionally, spiritually involved in the game” and even compared him to one of the NBA’s greatest of all-time.

“Wilt Davis was on full display today,” he said.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, James — despite briefly going down with an ankle injury that Ham later described as “good” — played the role of closer. The King finished with 26 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, plus eight rebounds.&nbsp;

Like Davis, he was a monster down low. The Mavericks tried several defenders on James, but he consistently beat them via size and strength both off the dribble and out of the post.&nbsp;

Dennis Schröder added 16 points and eight assists for the Lakers, who are now 4-1 since trading for Vanderbilt, D’Angelo Russell (out with an ankle sprain), Mo Bamba and Davon Reed.&nbsp;

Now tied for 11th in the Western Conference standings, the Lakers will next travel to Memphis for a meeting with the second-seeded Grizzlies on Tuesday.&nbsp;

vanderbilt-provides-spark-lakers-complete-biggest-comeback-in-21-years-02-26-23

Vanderbilt Provides Spark; Lakers Complete Biggest Comeback in 21 Years

The Lakers (26-31) continue their journey up north with a visit to the Portland Trail Blazers (27-29). The game tips off at 7:00pm PT on Spectrum SportsNet. Here are three things to know: 

Too TuffWith LeBron James out for a second straight game due to left ankle soreness (which has him questionable for today’s game), the Lakers needed a scorer to step up in Saturday’s game at Golden State. 

Enter Dennis Schröder, who lit the path to victory with 26 points on 7-of-12 shooting. The 29-year-old got hot early, draining three early triples before shifting to his trademark slashing ability. Schröder reached deep into his ball handling bag, breaking out crossover moves, switching hands, and even including a Chris Paul-style backspin yo-yo dribble.

The point guard has become something of a bellwether for the Lakers, who are now 7-2 when he scores at least 19 points.&nbsp;

Debuting the Reinforcements While Schröder commanded so much attention with his play, many eyes were focused on a new trio of Lakers acquired at the trade deadline. 

D’Angelo Russell made himself right at home in his return to the Lake Show. He joined the starting five and contributed 15 points and six assists, looking very much the polished scorer that he had been for Minnesota this season. The seven-year vet found some early two-man game with Anthony Davis, often losing his defender by attacking off AD’s picks and using his patented herky-jerky dribbling style to slither his way into the paint.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Jarred Vanderbilt lived up to his reputation for high-octane play, making the most of his 16 minutes on both ends of the floor. He had 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while showing off the motor that made him a fan favorite in Utah.&nbsp;

Malik Beasley had a cold start to his Lakers tenure. Top 15 in the NBA in 3-pointers per game, he went 0-for-6 beyond the arc (though he did make a couple twos). Davon Reed (coach’s decision) and Mo Bamba (league suspension) did not play.&nbsp;

Hot and Cold BlazersNo team has been more Jekyll and Hyde of late than Portland, which boasts the league’s best offensive rating over the last 10 games (126.5), but also carries the worst defensive rating (126.7). 

The firepower has been glaring. Damian Lillard — fourth in the league in scoring — has reached insane levels over his last nine games, dropping 40+ four times, including a 60-point masterpiece against the Jazz. He’s flanked by two fellow efficient scorers, Anfernee Simons and Jerami Grant, both averaging over 20 points this season.&nbsp;

But Portland has also been small defensively, with center Jusuf Nurkic on the mend. Look for Anthony Davis to have some favorable matchups as he seeks to rebound from an uncharacteristic 5-for-19 night against the Warriors.&nbsp;

3-things-to-know-lakers-at-trail-blazers-2-13-23

3 Things to Know: Lakers at Trail Blazers 2/13/23

Game Time Update: The start time for the preseason game on 10/15 at Crypto.com Arena has been moved to 4pm PT