Rui Hachimura speaks on his mindset going into game six.
The Los Angeles Lakers closed out the Houston Rockets in game six, advancing to the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Lakers took a 3-0 series lead, but lost games four and five, leading to many fans worrying that the Lakers would be the first team in history to blow a 3-0 lead. That was not the case as the Lakers came out with a renewed focus and energy, taking the lead in the middle of the first quarter and never looking back.
Los Angeles led by as many as 29 before walking away with a 98-78 victory, bringing an end to the Rockets season.
Rui Hachimura's Impact In Game Six
With Austin Reaves missing the first four games of the series, and Luka Doncic unable to play in any game, the Lakers needed help from their depth players behind LeBron James.
James did his part all series, once again defying father time and averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 8.3 assists.
Throughout all six games, the Lakers got help from various players in each game, but no one was bigger in game six than Rui Hachimura.
Hachimura provided the secodary scoring the team needed, pouring in 21 points on 8-15 shooting and 5-7 from three.
After the game, Hachimura was asked about his hot night from behind the arc.
"They trust me with the shooting. After the last game, they want me to shoot more threes. The coaches came up to me and said, 'Shoot more threes. Shoot more threes.' That's what I did," he said.
Hachumura went 2-3 from three in game five, a 99-93 loss for the Lakers. Shooting more certainly worked out for him and Los Angeles in game six.
Moving Forward
Luka Doncic is expected to be out for round two against the Oklahoma City Thunder, meaning pressure will continue to be on the likes of Hachimura, Marcus Smart, and Luka Kennard.
The return of Austin Reaves, who looked better in game six than he did in game five, will alleviate pressure, but the Thunder has historically taken away the first scoring option and forced other players to beat them.
Hachimura has been a playoff riser in the last two seasons. His scoring rose from 13.1 points to 14.8 points on 48% shooting from three in the playoffs last season.
This season, the jump is even better, averaging 11.5 points in the regular season up to 15.8 points in the postseason. He shot 44% from three on 3.9 attempts during the regular season, and is up to 58% on 4.8 attempts in the playoffs.