NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: LAKERS VS. NUGGETS

May 20, 2023

Rui Hachimura

Los Angeles Lakers

Game 3: Postgame

Denver Nuggets 119, Los Angeles Lakers 108

Q. At this point, how do you guys try to focus on Game 4 and not get discouraged by the fact that it's 3-0 now?

RUI HACHIMURA: Yeah, I've never been in a position like this, so I don't know. I mean, yeah, we've just got to watch film tomorrow and just focus on ourselves, and yeah, trying to win the next game.

Q. Austin came in here and talked about Denver, a very good three-point shooting team with Jokic. But when you look at what you guys could have done different for tonight, what improvements can be made for Game 4?

RUI HACHIMURA: Like I've been saying, they are just bigger than us. You know, they can just shoot over us. We are smaller than them, so they can just shoot over us. And of course Jokic, he's a good passer. He's just gets a lot of attention when he has the ball. So we just sometimes watch him and get back out or the other side of the court is wide open.

Yeah, they are a good team, so you've got to give them credit, yeah.

Q. When you are also trying to give the team offense and then defend Jokic, how difficult is that on you physically?

RUI HACHIMURA: It's actually not bad. I like being physical. It's just nothing, you know. For me, it's not that crazy.

But as a team, I think they are just -- they are big. They are very physical. They are fast. So you know, just those are things hard on us right now. We have just got to try and win the next game, yeah.

Q. How has your feeling and your confidence about your ceiling as a player in this league changed throughout this playoff run, because you've obviously played really well?

RUI HACHIMURA: I don't know, the people that know me for a long time, from the Wizards or other players, the coaches, for me, I don't think it's nothing, it's not new for me. I've had this for a while. It's just a different opportunity, you know. The Lakers is like one of the biggest teams in the league and playing with LeBron, AD, highest level.

So it's just a different opportunity and it's nothing for me, yeah.