Japanese forward Rui Hachimura had his first double-double of the NBA season Tuesday as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a late-game deficit to beat the Milwaukee Bucks 128-124 in double overtime.
Hachimura started and scored 16 points for the Lakers while snaring an NBA career-high 14 rebounds during his 39 minutes of action at Fiserv Forum, Wisconsin, where the Bucks comfortably led after each of the first three quarters before a 10-point Laker rally in the last four minutes of the fourth forced overtime.
Rui Hachimura (C) of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 26, 2024, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (NBAE/Getty/Kyodo)
Hachimura went 7-for-14 from the floor, including 2-for-2 from the free throw line, but fell short of breaking the 20-point barrier for the fourth time in March.
With superstar LeBron James sidelined with an ankle injury, Hachimura, Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves stepped up to extend the Lakers win streak to four games.
Hachimura said he was fired up in the absence of James and managed to play “physically” against a strong team, adding that winning the first of six straight away games, and the one he believed would be “the toughest” on that list, is huge for the Lakers.
Davis led with 34 points and 23 rebounds, both game-highs, while forward Austin Reaves had a triple-double with 29 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists. D’Angelo Russell chipped in 29 points and 12 assists.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the Bucks with a 29-point, 21-rebound, 11-assist triple-double.
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First appeared on english.kyodonews.net