The Los Angeles Lakers were in a tough spot about a week ago, but have since turned things around
The Los Angeles Lakers hit a rough stretch during the middle of January, going 1-5 from the 7th to the 17th, featuring losses to the Sacramento Kings and Milwaukee Bucks. While some pointed to the absence of Austin Reaves as a reason, the reality was that the team just wasn't in the right place mentally.
Since then, they've gone 4-1 in their past five contests, and are halfway through their eight-game road trip with momentum going in their favor. They still have a pair of tough games ahead of them, but it seems as though the Lakers are starting to reflect the team they were earlier in the year that looked like contenders.
Rui Hachimura Speaks On Overcoming Slump
In the Lakers' most recent victory, it was Luka Doncic leading the way, scoring 46 points and dishing out 12 assists in a win over the Chicago Bulls. Coming off the bench and having arguably the second-best offensive performance was Rui Hachimura, as the veteran forward added 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting.
Even though he's since been moved to the bench in favor of Jake LaRavia, he's starting to adapt to this role, which may be a better fit for the team. After the victory on Monday, Hachimura was asked about the team getting out of their slump.
"I always know that this is my seventh season, and this NBA season is so long. It's really up and down. I always tell myself to stay calm and just do what you gotta do. That's all you can do, control what you can do. For me to do this kind of stuff, it's normal," Hachimura said.
In the past five games, as the Lakers have gotten out of this slump, Hachimura is averaging 14.2 points on 46.4% shooting from beyond the arc. While he doesn't bring much to the court outside of his offensive production, he's been extremely efficient in doing so.
"The team was kind of down for a couple weeks, now we get back on the track, so we just gotta keep pushing each other," he said.
Looking ahead for the Lakers, they'll face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and the Washington Wizards on Friday before ending their road trip in New York City to face the Knicks and Nets. With Austin Reaves expected to return to the lineup soon, it's trending upwards for the Lakers as the All-Star break approaches.
The Western Conference standings are tight near the top, and losing focus and dropping some games could see the Lakers fall all the way to the eighth seed if they don't stay focused.