Sports
Lakers Forward Rui Hachimura Diagnosed with Knee Injury, Out for a Week
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The Los Angeles Lakers will be without forward Rui Hachimura for at least a week as he has been diagnosed with left patellar tendinopathy.
Hachimura sustained the injury during the third quarter of Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where he left the court after a fastbreak dunk. Lakers head coach JJ Redick provided an update following the team’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night, expressing cautious optimism about Hachimura’s condition.
“[We’re] still getting more information,” said Redick. “We’re optimistic this is not a serious injury, but we’re still not quite clear on when he will be available to play.”
Redick noted that imaging had been done and that Hachimura had not yet been examined by team physician Dr. Kristofer Jones. The coach implied that in the grand scheme, a timelines measured in weeks instead of months is a promising sign for the team.
“Thirty-four minutes of playing time of a guy who plays really well on both ends and has done a really good job of executing our schemes defensively,” Redick said, emphasizing the loss of Hachimura’s contributions. “His ability to space, crash, punish smaller defenders, [and] cut — we’re gonna miss them on both ends of the floor.”
This season, Hachimura has established himself as a key player in the Lakers’ rotation. He is averaging 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, while shooting 50.6% overall and 41% from three-point range. The latter statistic is the highest on the team.
In Hachimura’s absence, the Lakers will rely more heavily on superstars LeBron James and Luka Dončić for offensive production. The team is currently on a four-game win streak and holds a 36-21 record, sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference. They are just one game behind the Memphis Grizzlies and 1.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets.
Following Friday’s matchup, the Lakers are set to face the Clippers again on Sunday at 9:30 p.m. ET, hoping to maintain their momentum without Hachimura.
