The Los Angeles Lakers have figuratively punched their ticket to a second-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder after a strong 98-78 Game 6 close-out win over the Houston Rockets. LeBron James will steal headlines and rightfully so. Rui Hachimura should not ber overlooked.
Yes, the 41-year-old turned back the clock once again in the absence of Luka Doncic and gave LA a classic performance. The King finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists while shooting 40 percent from deep.
James was yet again the star of the show for the purple and gold, but LA avoiding a Game 7 and moving on to round two wouldn't have been possible without Hachimura. The former top 10 pick finished Game 6 with 21 points and six rebounds, but most importantly, went 5-of-7 from 3-point land.
Hachimura from three on Friday night was like a self-checkout at the grocery stores — smooth, fast, automatic, and self-serving.
Throughout his Lakers career, and time with the Washington Wizards, Hachimura has been a steady playoff riser and a big-time shot-maker in the postseason. That narrative is only getting stronger as the Lakers enter their head for the second round.
Lakers must be grateful for just how well Rui Hachimura is built for playoff basketball
Hachimura entered this year’s postseason as a 48.5 percent 3-point shooter across 31 career playoff games. During last year’s run, he ranked in the 100th percentile in corner 3-point percentage, according to Cleaning the Glass. On top of his impressive outside shooting, Hachimura also has a career average of 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds per game in his postseason career.
With the Rockets building a reputation this season as a team that didn't prioritize the 3-ball and focused more on scoring inside the arc, the Lakers were gifted an easy recipe for success. In theory, all LA had to do was win the 3-point margin, and this series was theirs.
No one contributed more to the Lakers' 3-point battle than Hachimura. While Kennard made big shots and so did LeBron, the consistent threat Hachimura was all series can't be overlooked.
If he had an open look from deep, the rest of the team could start getting back on defense because the whole arena knew it was cash. Over the series, he shot 17-of-29 from beyond the arc, good for 58.6 percent from beyond the arc.Â
As the Lakers prepare for a second-round showdown with the Thunder, Hachimura’s shooting will remain a major X-factor. If he carries this confidence into the next round, he’ll continue strengthening his case as one of the league’s most underrated playoff performers.
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