Los Angeles Lakers power forward Rui Hachimura said he remained "ready to shoot" as he helped erase a big fourth-quarter deficit in Wednesday's comeback win over the Los Angeles Clippers.
The Lakers were down by 19 heading into the last quarter and trailed by as many as 21 in the period before surging to a 116-112 victory, thanks in large part to a command performance from evergreen superstar LeBron James.
The 39-year-old four-time NBA Most Valuable Player scored 19 of his 34 points in the final frame at Crypto.com Arena as the Lakers turned what looked like certain defeat into a big win against their local rivals.
Hachimura was among several Lakers who played an important supporting role, hitting back-to-back crunch-time baskets on his way to 17 for the game.
"We knew we could come back," said Hachimura, who reentered the game with around five minutes left. "Of course, LeBron caught fire, but you know...it was a great team win."
With the game tied at 106 and just over three minutes remaining, Hachimura swished a go-ahead three-pointer in the corner off an assist from James. The Japanese national team star then hit a driving reverse lay-up on the next trip down the floor for a 111-106 lead. The Lakers stayed in front the rest of the way.
"When I got in the ring, I was ready to shoot the ball and be aggressive. That's what they want me to do," Hachimura said. "Those are my shots, so it was easy for me, and I knew he (James) was going to pass and make the right play."
The result put the 32-28 Lakers back on the winning track following a road loss to Western Conference rivals the Phoenix Suns. Currently ninth in the west, the 17-time NBA champions will host Hachimura's former team, the Washington Wizards, on Thursday.
"We trust each other. We had a tough game last game, against Phoenix, so we needed this (win). I'm glad we got this one," Hachimura said.
