The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 146-115 defeat to the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at Crypto.com Arena, marking their second straight loss and their sixth defeat in the last 10 games.
Despite the recent struggles, the Lakers were expected to bounce back with the return of LeBron James (groin) and Rui Hachimura (knee) after extended absences. James had missed seven consecutive games, while Hachimura had not played since Feb. 27 due to his lingering knee injury.
However, it was clear that both stars were still shaking off the rust, and Hachimura made a concerning admission postgame when speaking with reporters.
Los Angeles Lakers forwards LeBron James and Rui Hachimura.
Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Speaking in the locker room, the Japanese forward revealed that his knee issues are expected to persist for a while. “I was like 70-80%,” Hachimura admitted.
“My knee is gonna be like that for a while, I think.” He further revealed that a full recovery would require significant rest, which isn’t possible with the playoffs approaching. “
I can’t really get back to 100% right away,” Hachimura stated. “I gotta rest for like a long time to get back to normal. But I don’t think we have that, so we just gotta maintain and manage it.”
Here are Rui Hachimura’s quotes discussing his left patellar tendinopathy and still not feeling 100% healthy: pic.twitter.com/8Rb5gbNjmS — Daniel Starkand (@DStarkand) March 23, 2025
This is unfortunate news for Hachimura and the Lakers, as having the forward at his best will be critical down the stretch of the season.
Hachimura, who was placed on a minutes restriction, played just under 18 minutes, finishing with five points on 2-6 shooting, along with two rebounds in the loss.
For the season, he is averaging 13.1 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, shooting an efficient 50.4% from the field in his second full year with the Lakers.
With 12 games left in the regular season, the Lakers (43-27) have dropped to fourth in the Western Conference.
However, they remain within striking distance of the second-seeded Houston Rockets (46-25).
The team will need to carefully manage Hachimura’s knee issue to ensure he is as healthy as possible for a deep playoff run.
