Rui Hachimura said on Apr. 23 that he has been preparing throughout the season to play significant minutes in the playoffs for the Los Angeles Lakers. Hachimura has led the team in minutes during the first two games of their series against the Houston Rockets, showing both offensive and defensive contributions.
Hachimura’s preparation and performance have become important as the Lakers compete without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, requiring coach JJ Redick to shorten his rotation. The forward emphasized his readiness after Game 2, saying, “I think I was ready for it. Throughout the season, you know it’s a long season, but building the body.”
He added: “I have to do a lot of recovery during the season, lifting and all that. I was doing all that for this moment, the playoffs. I was ready for that and yea it’s high minutes for me, but it’s not that bad. I’ve been preparing through fine. I’ve been locked in on the defensive side and whatever we have to execute. So I was living for this moment.”
Hachimura is averaging 42 minutes per game in this playoff series while shooting 50% from three-point range and making key defensive plays including three steals and two blocks in Game 1.
With other players stepping up such as Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard, who said “gotta believe in what we have,” team belief remains strong despite missing top scorers.
As they head into games on Houston’s home court with a 2-0 lead in hand, Hachimura’s continued performance will be critical as Redick relies on him to maintain momentum.
