The Los Angeles Lakers returned to winning ways by beating the Charlotte Hornets 121-111 at Spectrum Center on Monday. Luka Doncic was once again the star of the show, but Rui Hachimura also garnered a lot of praise for his play on the night.
Doncic was asked postgame about the difference Hachimura makes for the Lakers when he’s playing this well, and he showered praise on his teammate.
“It helps us win games,” Doncic said. “A lot. But like I said, I think I said that maybe the Atlanta game, he was very underrated. I feel like nobody talks about him, but he deserves a lot of credits in our wins. He’s been amazing for us, and the way he plays like every game, it just helps us a lot, especially to win games.”
Hachimura had an incredibly efficient night on offense, finishing with 21 points (9-12 FG), three rebounds, one assist, and one steal. Lakers head coach JJ Redick felt the 27-year-old also played the best stretch of defense we’ve seen from him in the third quarter and helped the team take control of the game.
You’d like to see Hachimura maintain that throughout the game. If he can do that, then you’re looking at the perfect role player, as he is already operating at a high level on offense.
Hachimura is averaging 16.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game in 2025-26, while shooting 58.6% from the field and 52.4% from beyond the arc. He has been ridiculously efficient, and if he somehow keeps this up, the Lakers might regret not extending him in the offseason.
There has been a lot of talk about LeBron James and Austin Reaves (player option) hitting free agency in 2026, but Hachimura’s contract expires after this season, too. He could be in line for a big payday.
Speaking of Reaves, he made his return from a groin injury against the Hornets. The guard had missed the last three games, and Doncic was delighted to see his partner-in-crime back on the court.
“It’s great,” Doncic stated. “I was pushing him to get back. I need him back. It’s always great to have him back. He’s an amazing player; you saw it today… It’s not easy to just come back and perform the way he performed. So props to him, and we’re happy to have him back.”
Reaves had 24 points (7-17 FG), five rebounds, seven assists, and two steals against the Hornets. He got off to a red-hot start with 17 points in the first half, but cooled down a bit after the break. Doncic and Hachimura ensured that it didn’t cost the Lakers, scoring 17 points each in the second half.
Doncic ended up with 38 points (14-28 FG), six rebounds, seven assists, and one steal on the night. He is now averaging 37.1 points per game for the season and remains the league’s leading scorer.
Reaves’ return eased the load on Doncic a bit, and it will go down even further once James is back. The 40-year-old, who hasn’t played a single game this season due to sciatica, has been practicing with the South Bay Lakers and is inching closer to a return.
Doncic is looking forward to playing alongside James again, and you wonder how much better the Lakers will be with him. They improved to 8-3 with this win over the Hornets, and it’s been a surprisingly good start considering the circumstances.
The Lakers, though, will face arguably their toughest challenge of the season so far next, as they take on the 10-1 Oklahoma City Thunder.
