The Los Angeles Lakers got massive contributions from Rui Hachimura and Austin Reaves in the team’s Game 1 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies to begin the postseason. Hachimura was the game’s second-leading scorer with 29 points, while Reaves had 23.
They both outscored Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who finished with 22 and 21 points, respectively. It’s perhaps one of the underrated discussion points after Game 1 that Davis and James did not lead the way in scoring, but the Lakers still managed a 16-point victory.
Davis certainly sees this as an important piece of the puzzle in order for the Lakers to put themselves in contention for a championship, even after such a short time with this full roster, via Spectrum SportsNet:
“Guys make the right plays, and it’s our job as the guys to continue to make the right plays and trust our guys. Obviously it happened quickly for us. It had to happen quickly for us because of the circumstance that we were in. But it means a lot to those guys too. When you come in — like the shot Dennis (Schroder) made against Minnesota. (LeBron) could’ve gone up and shot the fade away, but he kicks it to Dennis and he makes a three. It gives those guys confidence that we trust them, and we do trust them to make the right play. When you’ve got a lot of guys who are in it for each other and want to win, then everybody’s on the same page and it doesn’t matter who scores as long as we score the basketball and continue to make the right plays.”
The Lakers star center believes that — moving forward — having trust in the role players on the team can lead to big things, especially as games tighten up and defenses adjust.
“Absolutely. Not only that, but it also puts the other team on notice that you have to guard these guys. They make shots and they make plays, and now it’s tougher to double because you’ve got guys that — if they double — they’re going to make shots and make the right play. Game 1 is always kind of a feel-out game to see what’s going on and we made a lot of right plays tonight on both ends of the floor. We’re going to continue to trust these guys. I think championships are won, and games are won, when the role players play well.”
There are going to be nights throughout the postseason where Davis and James have to take over and have full control of the game. But for the Lakers two superstars, it’s certainly comforting to know that others can step up on any night and be a difference-maker.
In Game 1, it was Reaves and Hachimura. But it could be Dennis Schroder, D’Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt, Troy Brown Jr. or even Malik Beasley or Lonnie Walker IV in some games.
The Lakers have built out a deep roster full of players who contribute in different ways. And if L.A. is around long enough in these playoffs, everyone may have a chance to show their contribution.
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