SALT LAKE CITY, Utah —
Rui Hachimura scored a career-high 36 points, and Anthony Davis added 37 to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 138-122 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday.
With superstar LeBron James resting an injured ankle, Hachimura and Davis crushed Utah’s tiny frontline, helping the Lakers go 6-1 in their last seven games before the NBA All-Star break.
Taking on the offensive load expected of him when he plays for the Japanese national team, Hachimura shot 13-of-19 from the field, including a personal-best six three-pointers, while also utilizing his physical strength to get to the hoop at will.
“It was just simple basketball,” said the 26-year-old power forward, who alerted media of his plan to pla for Japan at the Paris Olympics the day before.
Davis dominated the glass, grabbing 15 rebounds, and he and Hachimura became the first Lakers teammates to score 35 or more points in the same game since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in 2003.
Lakers point guard D’Angelo Russell also set a career high with 17 assists.
The Lakers’ recent winning streak coincides with Hachimura’s return to the starting lineup, having started the previous six games for head coach Darvin Ham.
The Akatsuki Japan star stated that he had developed a better rhythm as a result of “getting more touches,” and that both he and his teammates benefited from the enhanced starter camaraderie.
“When I get in the game, I want”I’ve always wanted to have an impact on the game,” Hachimura remarked.
“I want to win the game, but I also want to be the X factor for the team, whether that means coming off the bench or starting, offensively or defensively.” “I just need to be aggressive, use my size, and do whatever it takes to win.”
Following a seven-day break for the All-Star Game, in which Davis and James will represent the Lakers, the Lakers will enter the season’s last 26 games with the goal of improving their ninth-place standing in a hotly contested Western Conference playoff race.
“We’ve just got to keep building chemistry for the playoffs,” Hachimura added. “We have a few of days for the All-Star break, and then we come back for the last push here.”
