JJ Redick reveals Rui Hachimura might have serious facial injury after locker room exit
Lakers forward Rui Hachimura headed to the locker room Tuesday night after taking a nasty hit to the face, raising concerns about his availability moving forward in the playoff series.
The injury couldn’t come at a worse time for the Lakers, who just evened their series with the Timberwolves.
After getting blown out at home in Game 1, the Lakers bounced back with a gritty win in Game 2 behind Luka Doncic’s stellar performance. Doncic nearly had a triple-double, scoring 31 points to help the Lakers steal one back.
The game was nothing like the opener.
Instead of Minnesota cruising to an easy win, the Lakers cranked up the physical play. The result was a tough, grinding contest where neither team even reached 100 points.
The game featured 46 fouls and 45 free throw attempts. But the biggest concern for Lakers fans came in the first quarter.
Hachimura collapsed to the floor after Naz Reid charged into him, catching him directly in the face. The 27-year-old immediately ran to the locker room holding his nose, which appeared to be bleeding.
He missed most of the first half before returning with a protective face mask.
What’s worrying is that Hachimura started with a clear mask but switched to a solid black one mid-game. That change might signal something more serious – possibly a broken nose or facial fracture.
Despite the injury, Hachimura gutted it out for 34 minutes.
“He played like a warrior,” head coach JJ Redick said after the game.
But Redick also confirmed Hachimura would need a post-game X-ray to determine how bad the injury really is.
Lakers fans are holding their breath. Hachimura has become increasingly important to the team’s playoff hopes, establishing himself as one of Doncic’s favorite targets on the wing.
This isn’t his first facial injury, either. Last season, Hachimura took a similar blow that forced him to wear a mask for weeks.
The team now waits anxiously to see if their key role player will be limited as the series shifts to Minnesota.
