MEMPHIS, Tenn. — When the Lakers arrived in Memphis ahead of Wednesday night’s 136-124 victory over the Grizzlies, Rui Hachimura said he started having flashbacks to last spring.
It was nearly a year ago when Hachimura scored 29 points in the Lakers’ Game 1 victory to kick off their first-round playoff matchup against the Grizzlies, a series the Lakers won in six games.
The Lakers spent about a week in Memphis during the two-week long series, a period of time Hachimura said felt like longer.
“Felt like we spent here for two months,” Hachimura said. “That’s what I was thinking. But we have good memories here, had pretty good games in here. I was happy to be able to come back here.”
And Hachimura played like it, scoring 32 points (including a career-high seven 3-pointers) to go with 10 rebounds against the Grizzlies for his second consecutive double-double after having 16 points and 14 rebounds in Tuesday night’s road win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Offensively, Hachimura took advantage of the Grizzlies sagging off of him when he was spaced out behind the 3-point arc, leading to open catch-and-shoot opportunities.
Hachimura is shooting 42.3% from 3-point range this season after shooting 31.9% last season and 34.7% for his career entering this season.
“They all came in the flow, they all came in rhythm,” Coach Darvin Ham said. “If Jaren Jackson [Jr.] was guarding him, we know how on alert he is for anything that’s coming to the paint so we just told our guys continuously attack the paint, attack the rim, know Jaren is going to be lurking around the area and if he’s on Rui, just find Rui. Rui will be ready to be shot-ready, shot-aggressive. That happened with Rui and a couple of our other guys.”
Added star forward LeBron James: “Rui’s ability to shoot and spread the floor tonight was big time for us. It kept Jaren Jackson kind of away from the paint. And then when he was able to get into the paint, we was able to kick out for 3s for Rui. And he just stayed locked in all day, all night, and made them pay.”
But most impressive about Hachimura’s performance was his defensive rebounding – an area the Lakers have been looking to improve.
It was especially important with Anthony Davis (hyperextended left knee) sitting out against the Grizzlies. Davis and James are both listed as questionable for Friday’s road game against the Indiana Pacers.
“I’ve been on him all year about rebounding more, being active on the glass, being an active defender and not leaking out,” Ham said. “He has a tendency to wanna take off running, assuming someone else is gonna get the defensive rebound. And it stops him from participating, but to his credit, he’s heard us loud and clear.
“I’m not the only one telling him this. His teammates, the other coaches are all delivering the same message and he’s responding well to it.”
Hachimura, and the Lakers, have thrived since he became a full-time starter in early February. The Lakers are 16-7 since Hachimura became a new starter in their Feb. 3 road win over the New York Knicks.
Hachimura has averaged 15.7 points on 58.4% shooting (45.3% from 3-point range) during that stretch.
“Clarity always helps performance,” Ham said. “Inserting him into the starting lineup, it gives him a chance where the defense is not just focused on him. Him coming off the bench, there was times where they treated him like Bron. They know how he can definitely score at all three levels. He draws a lot of attention without having those guys on the floor. And so now with him being in that lineup with Bron, A.D., [D’Angelo Russell] and [Austin Reaves], there’s just really no one can really double-team him or scheme for him.
“If you want to technically call him a fifth option, I take that any and every day of the week and twice on Sunday. Because he’s a phenomenal elite scorer and the rest of the other parts of this game is starting to come along.”
LAKERS AT PACERS
When: Friday, 4 p.m. PT
Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis
TV/radio: Spectrum Sports Net/710 AM