Japanese forward Rui Hachimura talked about the struggles the Los Angeles Lakers are currently facing after their disappointing 128-94 loss to the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Wednesday night.
Hachimura, who scored 24 points off the bench, admitted that it has been hard for the shorthanded Lakers to cope with their numerous injuries.
The 25-year-old said the team has a different lineup every game, and it has its effect on their synergy as they fell to their fifth defeat of the season and their third in a row.
“I mean it’s hard you know,” the former Washington Wizards man said. “It’s of course hard, you know.
“Every day we have a different lineup, we play with different guys, new guys come in and out. It’s like we have a trade every day.”
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— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) November 9, 2023
Hachimura returned to the Lakers’ lineup after missing their last four games with a concussion, and the 6-foot-8 forward said his time off helped him reassess his game and look for ways to get better.
“You guys know I missed a couple of game,” he said. “But during that time, I was able to watch the games and kind of see where I can fit on this team.
“I was just able to play harder today and just bring the energy off the bench. And I think as a team I think we didn’t have enough energy,” Hachimura concluded.
D’Angelo Russell poured in 22 points in 28 minutes, while LeBron James finished with a season-low 18 points for the Lakers, who were without eight-time All-Star Anthony Davis, who sat out with a groin injury.
Los Angeles have opened the season with a 3-5 record in their first eight games, and they will be looking to turn things around when they make the trip to the Footprint Center in Arizona to take on the Phoenix Suns in their in-season tournament debut on Friday night.
