The Los Angeles Lakers have ruled forward Rui Hachimura out for Saturday night’s matchup against the Golden State Warriors due to illness, according to the team’s latest injury report.
The 28-year-old was downgraded from doubtful to out, marking his second consecutive absence. Hachimura has recently shifted to a reserve role behind Marcus Smart and is averaging 10.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in February while shooting 52.4% from the field and 44.7% from three on eight attempts per game.
Head coach JJ Redick turned to Luke Kennard and Jake LaRavia to fill Hachimura’s minutes during Thursday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, seeking an offensive spark from a bench that has struggled all season.
Golden State enters the contest with two days of rest after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. Star guard Stephen Curry remains sidelined, giving Los Angeles another opportunity to gain ground in the standings. Aside from Hachimura, the Lakers report no additional injuries, leaving Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and LeBron James to anchor the offense.
Earlier this week, Hachimura underscored the need for improved ball movement as the Lakers attempt to find consistency entering the season’s final stretch.
Source: LakersNation.com
