Rui Hachimura a difference-maker in win over Kings originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Rui Hachimura played in the Wizards’ first 16 games of the season, then missed the next 16 games due to a bone bruise in his right ankle. That provided a perfectly symmetrical sample size.
In the first 16 games in which he was available, the Wizards went 9-7. In the 16 games he missed, they were 3-13.
Of course, it isn’t quite that simple, that Hachimura makes the difference between the Wizards being a winning team and a losing team, but he makes a difference nonetheless. That was evident on Friday when Washington beat the Kings on the road, 125-111, in a game they led by as many as 30 points.
It was one of the most comfortable victories the Wizards have enjoyed this season so far and among their best offensive performances. They scored 125 points, shooting 55.7% from the field and with 30 assists. They only had one turnover in the first half and dropped 40 points in the second quarter, a season-high for a single frame.
That second quarter was when Hachimura did some of his best work against the Kings. He was blazing early with 14 points in the first half, including eight in the second quarter. Hachimura knocked down his first six shots for the night.
The fourth-year forward showed off his whole repertoire in Sacramento. He made three 3-pointers, including one that was closely contested in the first half. He splashed in some midrange jumpers, per usual, and he bulldozed his way to the rim.
Hachimura’s shot chart for the night well illustrates his scoring balance, as he mixed in shots from all over the floor.
ESPN
Hachimura finished the game with 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting with five rebounds and four assists. It was his second-highest-scoring game of the season and it came in just his second game back from the injury.
Hachimura has been indispensable in the Wizards’ second unit this season due to his reliability as a scorer. Even though he missed 16 games, Hachimura leads the Wizards in double-digit scoring games off the bench with 14. No one else has been able to impact games as consistently on that end of the floor outside of their starting lineup.
But beyond the numbers, Hachimura provides something to the team that is more intangible. He can change the momentum of games with his offense in a way the rest of the Wizards’ bench has rarely been able to do this season.
When Hachimura entered Friday’s game against the Kings, the Wizards were down 9-14 with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter. They then went on a 35-21 run before he exited with 8:29 to go in the second quarter.
Hachimura had scored 14 points in a span of about 11 minutes. Very quickly, the Wizards rode an offensive wave to build a substantial lead.
Hachimura may have found himself an ideal role, as a microwave scorer off the Wizards’ bench. He was a starter through his first two seasons and did a fine job, earning All-Rookie in 2019-20. But on the bench, he can find more mismatches going up against opposing teams’ backups.
Hachimura has also always had a knack for finding a rhythm early, sometimes struggling to maintain it in the second half. That initial burst gives head coach Wes Unseld Jr. the ability to go to him right when he needs a spark.
Against the Kings, the Wizards were down early, but Hachimura came in and changed the game. Now that he’s back and healthy, the Wizards will hope that happens many more times moving forward.
