NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

May 18, 2023

Rui Hachimura

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 2: Postgame

Q. Just individually what have you noticed about this matchup for you in the spots that you're able to get to have the kind of efficiency you're having on offense?

RUI HACHIMURA: Just trying to be aggressive on both ends and especially their bigs. So, I think for this series the coach has been telling me, it's going to be a big series for me. So, I was ready for this. And yeah, but we lost this Game 2 and it was tough one for sure, yeah.

Q. You held them to 108 points but obviously they had that huge run in the fourth quarter with the five straight threes. What are you noticing about their offense and you guys trying to keep Jokic down and then them getting threes on the other side?

RUI HACHIMURA: Yeah, they made tough shots. I think we did a pretty good job on Jokic and guarding the shooters, but they just like shoot over us. Like I just say, they're big, they can just shoot over us. So just got to, we just got to play harder I think and that's going to be the key.

Q. What did you think of the job that LeBron did on Jokic for a lot of third and fourth quarter?

RUI HACHIMURA: I think it was good. He was trying to not give him the ball. He couldn't even get the ball. So, I think it was good. During the game, me and him talk about it, we're going to switch the matchup and I think it worked out.

Q. I know you guys are undefeated at home and confident heading back for Game 3, but do you feel like tonight there was a little bit of a missed opportunity being up by 11 multiple times, especially in that third quarter there before they went on a little bit of a run?

RUI HACHIMURA: Yeah, they made tough shots. Especially it was their home, so, you know, they did what they're supposed to do. So now we go home and we got two games, so we just got to take care of the business, we just got to win those games and we got to tie the series.