Ed Odeven 
Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura (28) and center Jaxson Hayes (11) defend Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey in the first half on March 22, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. (©Jonathan Hui/IMAGN IMAGES/via REUTERS)
Read the full story on SportsLook - Rui Hachimura and the Lakers Aiming to Regain Form
Forward Rui Hachimura returned to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup on Saturday, March 22 after being sidelined for almost a month with a left knee injury.
Hachimura had five points, shot 2-for-6 from the field, snared two rebounds and made a steal in 18 minutes in a 146-111 defeat to the visiting Chicago Bulls.
Lakers coach JJ Reddick put Hachimura on a minutes restriction (20-24 minutes) as he began his comeback.
In the second game of Hachimura's comeback, he scored five points again, making 2 of 4 shots and canned 1 of 2 free-throw attempts. He finished with three rebounds and a steal in 24 minutes in a 118-106 road loss to the Orlando Magic.
Just a few weeks ago, the rejuvenated Lakers were riding high with the dynamic one-two punch of LeBron James, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, and new acquisition Luka Doncic, the Slovenian superstar.
It began before Hachimura sustained a left patellar tendinopathy injury on February 27.
From February 20 to March 6, the Lakers reeled off eight straight wins, bolstering their playoff credentials.
What followed was a four-game skid, then a three-game win streak before the current three-game losing streak. In other words, they've lost seven of their last 10 games.
The Lakers were missing two starters at the same time for most of that up-and-down stretch. In addition to Hachimura missing a dozen games, James was sidelined for seven games with a groin strain. He also returned to the lineup on March 22.
Rui Hachimura Says Knee is at 70-80%
Hachimura provided an update on the physical condition of his left knee after the game against the Bulls.
"It's like 70, 80 [percent]," Hachimura told reporters. "My knee's going to be like [that] for a while, I think. I can't really get back to 100% right away, [so] I got to rest for like a long time to get back to my normal."
He added, "We just [have] to maintain and manage it."
Continue reading the full story on SportsLook.
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Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward's dedicated website, SportsLook. Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven.
