The Los Angeles Lakers will be back at Crypto.com Arena for playoff action against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 tonight.
The Thunder lead 2-0 in this Western Conference semifinals, and the Lakers need to win to come out of the elimination hole. The same hole they encountered last season.
A strong showing tonight could shift momentum and give Los Angeles life heading into Game 4 in two days. The focus is on winning tonight.
Los Angeles Lakers Reveal Incredible Milestone
Ahead of Game 3, the Lakers highlighted a historic stat on forward Rui Hachimura.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura warms up. (Photo by Luiza Moraes/Getty Images)
The franchise announced its pregame “Three Things to Know,” presented by GlobeLife, via social media Saturday evening. Hachimura’s remarkable playoff shooting efficiency was spotlighted.
“Rui Hachimura ranks No. 1 all-time in playoff 3-point percentage at 51.1%,” the Lakers wrote on X.
Hachimura has appeared in the postseason across five different campaigns. In his debut playoff run with the Washington Wizards in 2020-21, he shot 60.0% from beyond the arc in five games. After being traded to the Lakers in January 2023, Hachimura has suited up for more postseason games.
Hachimura had a decent first-round series against the Houston Rockets, shooting 58.6% from 3, and has now pushed his career playoff 3-point percentage to the top of the historical list. The historical list contains the likes of Stephen Curry.
Hachimura joined the Lakers from the Washington Wizards in 2022. He started with a bench role initially but he now has more starting roles.
In the two second-round games played so far, Hachimura is averaging 17.0 points while shooting over 53.8% from the field and north of 56.5% from three.
The Lakers relied on LeBron James for most parts of this series and the support core did their bit in the first round. This second round has proven to be a much tougher task.
High Stakes In Game 3 as Lakers Fight To Avoid 0-3 Deficit
Hachimura’s stat line wouldn’t put any gloss over the Lakers’ performances in the first two games of this series. Game three is essentially a make or mar one for L.A.
Falling behind 3-0 will make a conference finals qualification tricky for the Lakers. No team in NBA playoff history has ever come back from a 0-3 deficit to win a series. It doesn’t look like it will be happening in this round.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
The Thunder has covered both ends thanks to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren. They are yet to drop a game yet in this postseason and don’t look like dropping one anytime soon.
There is no Luka Doncic yet, which means more offensive responsibilities shared for the team. Austin Reaves made a timely return in Game 5 of the previous round but looked rusty until Game 2 of this round.
The Lakers guard scored a playoff career-high 31 points on the night even though it wasn’t enough for the win.
Hachimura scored 16 points in that Game 2, together with four rebounds and two assists. If the Lakers are to rely on shooting from range, Hachimura could be that guy. He made seven of his 13 attempted 3-pointers in Games 1 and 2.
Tip off is tonight as the Lakers will aim to put a win on the board.
Lakers Drop Remarkable Playoff News on Star Before Game 3 vs. Thunder