Rui Hachimura, Lakers in Awe as Shohei Ohtani Dominates NLCS Game 4
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As the Los Angeles Lakers prepared for their final preseason game against the Sacramento Kings, forward Rui Hachimura and his teammates gathered around a television to watch Shohei Ohtani’s latest postseason showcase. The Los Angeles Dodgers two-way star authored a historic performance in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series on Oct. 18, pitching six shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and belting three solo home runs to complete a four-game sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers at Dodger Stadium.
“Oh, it was crazy,” Hachimura said after the Lakers’ shoot-around. “We were watching it right before our game. Everybody was like, ‘What is this? This is crazy.’ He’s the guy, for sure. I’m happy for him, for the whole team and all the Japanese guys. Hopefully they get the next one, too.”
Ohtani’s outing set multiple postseason records and cemented him as the central figure in the Dodgers’ bid to become Major League Baseball’s first repeat champion in 25 years. Although the 2021 and 2023 American League MVP had struggled at the plate earlier in the series, his Game 4 surge erased any doubts and underscored his status as one of the sport’s most dominant talents.
The spectacle drew praise from across Southern California’s sports community. Lakers legend Magic Johnson, a minority owner of the Dodgers, congratulated the club and highlighted Ohtani’s achievement on social media. The connection between the city’s marquee franchises has grown since Dodgers controlling owner Mark Walter purchased a majority stake in the Lakers, a partnership recently spotlighted in team promotional videos featuring Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman.
Los Angeles now shifts its attention to the World Series, where Ohtani will try to extend his unprecedented two-way excellence and deliver another championship for the city. Meanwhile, Hachimura and the Lakers open the 2025-26 NBA season later this week, still buzzing from the performance they witnessed just before taking the court.
Source: Lakers Nation
