Rui Hachimura returns to Crypto.com Arena tonight. This time he is in the visitors’ locker room. The LA Clippers forward, who spent three and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, faces his old team for the first time at 7 p.m. PT. Both teams are 1-0. The Clippers will again be without Bradley Beal, Brandon Ingram, Max Strus, Jordan Miller and Yanic Konan Niederhauser.
Rui Hachimura on Facing the Lakers
Hachimura did not hide what tonight means to him. “Playing in that arena is special to me,” he said, per the AP preview on NBA.com. “I am excited for it. We have to get the (victory) you know. We did a great job (against the Kings) and we are gonna come out and focus on getting that win.”
He also spoke warmly about his old team. “It was a great three, four seasons with the Lakers,” Hachimura said, per Janis Carr of the Orange County Register via Hoops Rumors. “I had a great time. They took really good care of me. I appreciate the organization (but) it was time to move on.”
“I’m happy that I’m here, with the Clippers, one of the best organizations and to have this arena, the coaching staff, trainers, everybody,” he added. “So, I’m happy that I’m here, it’s just a different team.”
The Register reported that Hachimura wanted to stay with the Lakers in free agency, but the Lakers told him they did not plan to re-sign him. He then signed a two-year, $28 million deal with the Clippers.
Rui Hachimura’s Lakers Years in Numbers
The Lakers acquired Hachimura from the Washington Wizards in January 2023. ESPN’s career stats show this run in purple and gold:
- 2022-23: 33 games, 9.6 points, 4.7 rebounds.
- 2023-24: 68 games, 13.6 points, 42.2 percent from three.
- 2024-25: 59 games (57 starts), 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 41.3 percent from three.
- 2025-26: 68 games (41 starts), 11.5 points, 44.3 percent from three.
That adds up to 228 regular-season games for the Lakers. He shot better than 41 percent from deep in each of his last three seasons there. That shooting is a big part of what he brings next to Darius Garland. During training camp, Tyronn Lue said Hachimura and Max Strus were the quickest learners among the Clippers’ new players, per Roundtable. With Strus sidelined by his foot injury, more of the floor spacing around Garland falls on Hachimura, Gradey Dick and Wagler.
A Rough Shooting Night in the Opener
The first Clippers box score did not show that touch. In Wednesday’s 121-96 win over the Sacramento Kings, Hachimura started at forward and played 32 minutes. He shot 3-of-13 from the field, 2-of-7 from three and 2-of-5 at the line for 10 points. He did grab eight rebounds, add a steal and a block, and finish plus-13. The Clippers did not need more from him that night: they shot 52.4 percent as a team and 40 percent from three, per the AP.
One quiet night is not a trend, and his three-point numbers over the last three seasons give good reason to expect a bounce-back. Tonight he will likely face a mix of Matisse Thybulle, Ziaire Williams and Jarred Vanderbilt. Those matchups are not confirmed.
The clip above, posted by the Clippers during the preseason, shows the shot the team is counting on.
The Clippers’ Side of the Matchup
The Clippers’ opening-night starters were Garland, Kris Dunn, Derrick Jones Jr., Hachimura and Isaiah Jackson, per the ESPN box score. Previews expect the same five tonight. Lue has not confirmed it.
Garland scored 30 in 32 minutes against Sacramento, and Brook Lopez added 17 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Garland described his approach, per the AP: “Just trying to make the right reads whenever I can. When they’re trying to help out, I try to swing it as quick as I can to our shooters. If they’re doubling, try to get over the top to our bigs and make plays from there.”
Rookie Keaton Wagler, the No. 5 overall pick, came off the bench for 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes. Gradey Dick added 12 points in 19 minutes.
The key frontcourt matchup is the Clippers’ bigs against Walker Kessler, who went 12-for-12 for 26 points in the Lakers’ opener. Jackson started and scored 13 on 6-of-8 shooting in 15 minutes. Lopez played 27 minutes, and his outside shooting could pull Kessler away from the rim.
Clippers Injury Report
The NBA’s official report Friday morning lists five Clippers as out:
- Bradley Beal: right knee, injury management.
- Brandon Ingram: right heel surgery.
- Max Strus: right plantar fascia tear.
- Jordan Miller: left rotator cuff surgery.
- Yanic Konan Niederhauser: right Lisfranc surgery.
On the Lakers’ side, Collin Sexton is expected to make his debut, Jake LaRavia is questionable with a right ankle sprain, and Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr are out.
Game Info
- Tip: 7 p.m. PT, Crypto.com Arena. This is a Lakers home game.
- Watch: ClipperVision for Clippers viewers, per ESPN.
- Line: Clippers +9.5, total 228.5 (DraftKings via ESPN).
- Recent series: The Lakers have won eight of the last 12 meetings since the Clippers’ 11-game winning streak ended after 2022-23, per the AP.
Clippers Schedule Ahead
- Sunday, Oct. 25: at Oklahoma City Thunder, 4 p.m. PT.
- Wednesday, Oct. 28: vs. Lakers, Intuit Dome, 7:30 p.m. PT.
- Friday, Oct. 30: at Minnesota Timberwolves, 5 p.m. PT.
Hachimura gets the Lakers twice in six days. The second game is at Intuit Dome.
Source Notes
- Brandon Ingram: The official report says right heel surgery. Silver Screen and Roll describes a partially torn right Achilles tendon, and ESPN has also reported an Achilles injury. This conflict, which we flagged in earlier posts, is still unresolved. We use the official wording.
- Max Strus: ESPN lists plantar fasciitis. The official report says plantar fascia tear.
- Bradley Beal: One preview called Beal a game-time decision. The official report lists him as out.
- Hachimura’s tenure: Hachimura said “three, four seasons.” The AP says three and a half, which matches his January 2023 arrival.
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