Rui Hachimura hit the game-winning shot to seal the Lakers’ 123-120 win over the Raptors, who were the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference before tonight’s loss. LeBron James sacrificed on keeping his 10-point streak alive just so that the Lakers could get the best look to win the game in the final seconds of the game.
Hachimura was not in the corner by coincidence, but rather, he apparently knew the ball was coming to him because James told him before the final play that he would look for him in the corner.
“That was crazy. He [LeBron] told me right before this, he said, ‘I got you, it’s going to come to you.’ So yeah, that was it,” said Hacimura while explaining that LeBron had already decided he would not take the final shot himself.
RUI HACHIMURA FROM THE CORNER FOR THE WIN OFF THE LEBRON JAMES DIME!
🚨 @TISSOT BUZZER-BEATER 🚨
Everyone Gets 24 pic.twitter.com/6J38hGVRYK
— NBA (@NBA) December 5, 2025
“I don’t know what it is, in that position, I just knew that it was going to come to me, so I was ready. I got to admit I had to imagine how I would shoot it, but it went exactly as I felt it would, so yeah.”
LeBron James had eight points, six rebounds, and 11 assists in the game, while shooting 4-of-17 from the floor (23.5%). He did not make a single three-point shot in the game out of his five attempts as well.
The Lakers’ veteran superstar was one field goal away from keeping his streak alive and had a fairly good look available to him for the last shot. But he still chose to pass it to Hachimura due to the trust that he has in his teammate to come through in the clutch moment.
Furthermore, Hachimura also addressed Austin Reaves going off for a 44-point double-double in the game. Reaves led all scorers for the Lakers with 44 points, 10 assists, and five rebounds while shooting extremely efficiently at 61.9% from the field and 45.5% from beyond the arc.
“It was crazy. He told me before the game that he’s a little tired, but I guess he wasn’t. He got 40, right? That’s crazy,” said Hachimura in disbelief.
The Lakers forward was lastly asked about the Lakers’ three-game road trip that began against the Raptors in Toronto tonight, and how they plan to navigate that without Luka Doncic is reportedly out for personal reasons and will not be available in the next game at least, when they face the Celtics tomorrow night (December 5).
“We just got this tough dub. We’ve got a hard one coming tomorrow, so we just have to focus on that. I know Luka’s not going to be here tomorrow, so we just have to stick together, and we’ve got to get the dub in this next one too,” concluded Hachimura.
Hachimura finished the game with 12 points, three rebounds, and one steal while shooting 44.4% from the field. He was not necessarily having the best night for the Lakers himself. But the element of surprise of going away from the hot hand of Reaves for the final shot is what helped the Lakers get this win.
The Lakers’ record has now improved to 16-5 for the season, and they are currently the No. 2 seed behind the Thunder in the Western Conference. Facing the Celtics in an epic clash between the rivals tomorrow, the Lakers fans will hope they continue today’s momentum into that game.
