Rui Hachimura has a contrasting presence with the LA Lakers in the season

The Los Angeles Lakers have been having a roller coaster of a season, especially with many players being injured and one forward has been truly struggling, first with a concussion and now undergoing a nose fracture surgery.

It has been a bit of an up-and-down season for Los Angeles Lakers forward Rui Hachimura. His minutes and production have fluctuated heavily as he’s dealt with injuries and as lineups have changed constantly around him.

But on Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder, he put together one of his best performances of the season, and it was noticed by superstar LeBron James.

Hachimura finished with 21 points and six rebounds on 8-of-14 shooting in 30 minutes in a win that ended a four-game losing streak for the Lakers and ended a difficult road trip on a high note. It was Hachimura’s second solid performance in a row, as he scored 18 against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday while getting a start in the absence of LeBron.

LeBron James praised the night Rui Hachimura had to get the win over OKC Thunder

James, who finished the night with 40 points of his own in a dominant superstar performance, focused on the work that Hachimura put in: “It was big-time. He was really good for us tonight. Like you said, it’s been up and down for him as far as playing time, but his minutes were consistent tonight and he made plays for us offensively and was able to get some key rebounds for us as well.”