The Los Angeles Lakers have been relatively healthy to start the NBA playoffs, but they did get one scare in Game 2. In the first quarter, starting forward Rui Hachimura had to leave the game after getting hit in the face.
He came back out wearing a mask, but it seemed to be something that was bothering him throughout the game. The Lakers already lack size, so losing Hachimura for any period of time would be a huge blow.
Luckily, it sounds like the team is going to be OK. Head coach JJ Redick revealed on Thursday that Hachimura will be able to play going forward, but he will need to wear a mask as a precaution.
Redick was impressed with how the forward fought through the pain in Game 2.
“He played like a warrior tonight. I’m sure that he will probably be in the X-ray room right now. But he did a lot of really good things,” Redick said of Hachimura after Game 2.
“I think when we watched the tape, there was a few plays that he made, just getting deflections and disrupting plays, leading to late shot clock possessions for them. Some plays at the rim that don’t show up in the boxscore. He was awesome tonight.”
Lakers Got ‘Punked’ in Game 1
Hachimura playing through injury was fitting for the Lakers as they played one of their most physical games of the season in Game 2. In Game 1, it was the opposite.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves was happy to see his team bounce back after a listless performance in Game 1.
“I think it just goes back to the other night when we basically got punked,” Reaves said. “They came in here, Game 1, and punked us. You could tell from the energy in the locker room after the game that nobody was worried about what we have. We just had to go out there and compete every single possession.”
Lakers Expecting Hostile Crowd in Game 3
The Lakers are now headed to Minnesota after playing the first two games of the series in Los Angeles. The team lost home-court advantage, so they will have to pick up a win on the road if they’re going to win the series.
Luka Doncic faced the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals last season and is familiar with their home crowd. He’s expecting it to be an intense environment.
“It’s gonna be hype,” Doncic said of the Minnesota crowd. “I remember that, they have amazing fans and they’re gonna be very loud from the first moment. At some point they’re gonna make a run, but we gotta stay together. It’s us against the whole arena, so it’s gonna be very tough. I experienced that and it wasn’t easy. We gotta stay together no matter what.”
While he knows it’s not going to be easy, he knows that he and LeBron James aren’t going to panic.
“Obviously not panic, but me and Bron, as leaders of the team, we gotta keep the team together,” he added. “Like I said, going into Minnesota is gonna be a war. The fans are gonna be cheering like crazy, so no matter what, we can’t panic. We gotta stay together and that’s on me and Bron to keep the team together.”
