<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/image_2021-02-23_221239.png"></figure><h1>Rui Hachimura took on challenge of defending LeBron James. Here’s what motivated him</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-23T06:21:11-08:00">February 23rd, 6:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-23T06:22:45-08:00">February 23rd, 6:22am</time><address><a>Skyler Carlin</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Wizards were able to pull out a victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime on Monday and Rui Hachimura is beginning to show his horns as a defensive demon. Following Monday’s win over the Lakers, Hachimura revealed <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1364104708307189760?s=20">what has led him to give more effort to improve on defense</a> of late, via The Athletic’s Fred Katz.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rui Hachimura says Russell Westbrook was the one who told him he should be able to guard 1 through 5, which made him start to think about how important defense should be for him.</p><p>— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1364104708307189760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 23, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Coming out of Gonzaga, the Wizards were unsure if Hachimura was going to fit as a small forward or power forward in his rookie season in 2019-2020. Washington has played him at both positions in an attempt to see where he performs best for them.</p><p>While he’s always had potential on the offensive end of the floor, Hachimura wants to begin evolving into a formidable defender. The second-year forward pointed out that Russell Westbrook has gotten into his ear to let him know that he should be capable of defending every position on the floor. It’s paid dividends of late, with the Japanese national stepping up defensively amid Washington’s five-game win streak.</p><p>On Monday night, Hachimura got the first crack at guarding LeBron James. Of course, Washington’s entire defense would need to contribute to slow down James, who finished with 31 points, nine rebounds, and 13 assists. He also finished with eight turnovers and made just two of his 10 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/lakers-news-lebron-james-37-foot-attempt-in-ot-with-6-2-seconds-left-vs-wizards-was-a-mistake/">three-point attempts</a>. Hachimura was the main line of defense during critical possessions down the stretch, bothering him just enough for them to pull out the win.</p><p>Even though Westbrook hasn’t been dominant defender himself the past few season, he has made up for it with his energy on both ends of the floor. Westbrook is always playing at 100 miles per hour, which can be a gift and curse for the team he’s playing for.</p><p>Provided that, Hachimura doesn’t have to become an All-Defensive First-Team player for the Wizards to be considered a successful defender. At the least, Westbrook and Washington want the Gonzaga product to realize that playing in the NBA is more than just scoring points and getting statistics that show up on the box score.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rui Hachimura took on challenge of defending LeBron James. Here’s what motivated him

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Bradley-Beal-spills-Rui-Hachimura_s-reason-for-no-longer-taking-charges.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards star Bradley Beal spills Rui Hachimura’s reason for no longer taking charges</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2021-02-09T07:31:15-08:00">February 9th, 7:31am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2021-02-09T07:31:50-08:00">February 9th, 7:31am</time><address><a>Jeremy Chua</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura took his first charge of the year during their game against the Chicago Bulls on Monday night. Wizards teammate Bradley Beal joked that the Japanese national didn’t want to take charges anymore after an incident involving Isaac Bonga in a tilt against the Detroit Pistons last season.</p><p>Via <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1358994340052426754">The Athletic</a>‘s Fred Katz:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Lol Bradley Beal on Rui Hachimura’s first charge of the year: "Rui don’t take charges. Ever since his little accident, Rui’s no fan of taking charges.”</p><p>If you don’t know the reference, ask Isaac Bonga about it.</p><p>— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1358994340052426754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">February 9, 2021</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=48&amp;v=vU7W1Yqze4Y&amp;feature=youtu.be">Video via Zaglights on YouTube: </a></p><figure class="op-interactive"></figure><p>Back in the 2019-20 season, Hachimura and Bonga collided in mid-air as they fought to grab a rebound off a missed shot by their opponent. However, Bonga apparently hit Hachimura in the groin, which shook up the youngster.</p><p>Luckily, none of those happened when Hachimura took his first charge against the Bulls on Monday night. Without point guard Russell Westbrook on the floor, the Wizards still came out with a valiant effort and earned a tight 105-101 victory on the road.</p><p>Beal was his dominant self with 35 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. On his <a href="https://twitter.com/FredKatz/status/1358986287647252481">23rd birthday</a>, Hachimura successfully found his footing in the game and notched 19 points along with a season-high 10 rebounds for Washington.</p><p>Bulls guard Zach LaVine countered with 35 points and six assists of his own, but he missed a game-tying layup attempt in the final seconds (<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/bulls-news-zach-lavine-upset-with-officials-after-not-getting-call-on-game-tying-attempt-vs-wizards/" rel="noopener">he thought he was fouled</a>). Washington returned to the win column after an ugly loss on Sunday and improved to a 6-15 record for the 14th spot in the Eastern Conference. Chicago dropped to 9-14 on the season with the tough loss.</p><p>The Wizards’ game against the Bulls showed that Beal and Westbrook’s supporting cast will have to contribute more if they want to salvage their season from going down the drain. Washington plays the Toronto Raptors next on Wednesday, and Westbrook will be back in the lineup after missing Monday’s game for rest.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards star Bradley Beal spills Rui Hachimura’s reason for no longer taking charges

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Rui-Hachimura-Wizards.jpg"></figure><h1>Rui Hachimura returning ahead of schedule</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-30T10:53:49-08:00">December 30th, 10:53am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-30T10:54:15-08:00">December 30th, 10:54am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura could be back sooner than initially anticipated.</p><p>Hachimura was supposed to miss the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-news-rui-hachimura-out-3-weeks-with-an-eye-infection/">first three weeks</a> of the NBA regular season due to an eye infection. However, head coach Scott Brooks said Wednesday Hachimura will play Thursday night against the Chicago Bulls, per Ava Wallace of the <i>Washington Post</i>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Rui Hachimura is going to play vs. the Bulls tomorrow night, Scott Brooks said.</p><p>— Ava Wallace (@avarwallace) <a href="https://twitter.com/avarwallace/status/1344346345566568448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 30, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>This means Hachimura returns to the rotation about a week earlier than expected. Brooks said the second-year man out of Gonzaga will play about 20 minutes.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Hachimura is returning about a week ahead of schedule. He'll play about 20 mins tomorrow.</p><p>— Ava Wallace (@avarwallace) <a href="https://twitter.com/avarwallace/status/1344348691352707072?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 30, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>The Wizards were hoping the acquisition of Russell Westbrook–in exchange for franchise staple John Wall–would provide the organization with a different feel.</p><p>Westbrook was acquired for his explosiveness and productivity, but also to provide veteran leadership. “The Brodie” has had to use it early.</p><p>Russ sent a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CJaKSpmDUKn/">strong message</a> to his teammates after the Wizards started the year with an 0-4 mark. Washington ranks third in pace, but just 21st in offensive rating. The Wizards are also 24th in opponent scoring average.</p><p>Can Hachimura give the team more of a boost? The 22-year-old flashed some of his offensive prowess during a rookie season in which he averaged 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds.</p><p>Hachimura has yet to develop an outside jumper, but has good technique on the low block and can also face up against slower forwards. There is plenty of room for improvement on the defensive end of the floor, however.</p><p>Washington desperately needs to gather some momentum if it hopes to figure into the playoff mix in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps Hachimura can provide a spark.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Rui Hachimura returning ahead of schedule

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Wizards-Bradley-Beal-Rui-Hachimura-Russell-Westbrook-Deni-Avdija.jpg"></figure><h1>Wizards forward Rui Hachimura out 3 weeks with an eye infection</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-21T10:54:42-08:00">December 21st, 10:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-21T10:55:08-08:00">December 21st, 10:55am</time><address><a>Marty Fenn</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wizards-news-bradley-beal-dishes-first-game-with-russell-westbrook/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Washington Wizards</a> will be without second-year swingman Rui Hachimura for the start of the 2020-21 season.</p><p>Washington announced Monday the former Gonzaga star will be out close to three weeks due to an eye infection.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Injury update: Rui Hachimura will miss approximately three weeks with bi-lateral epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC).</p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1341086108722098187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 21, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>Hachimura had been diagnosed with the infection last week, missing each of the Wizards’ final two preseason games. It seems he will have to take a seat for an extended period before things return to normal.</p><p>This could pave the way for 2020 first-round pick Deni Avdija to slot into the starting lineup.</p><p>Wizards head coach Scott Brooks had already said last week there was a <a href="https://www.nba.com/wizards/off-the-bench-summary-scott-brooks-121620">good chance</a> Avdija would be the starting small forward. The latest determination on Hachimura would seem to practically cinch that notion.</p><p>Avdija was very impressive in his preseason debut, scoring 15 points on a perfect 6-for-6 from the field–including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc–while also adding four rebounds and a pair of assists in 24 minutes.</p><p>The Israeli teenager got a more extended run in the team’s second game against the Detroit Pistons, scoring seven points to go with five rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes before nearly notching a double-double in the preseason finale with the Wizards.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how Brooks allocates minutes to Avdija and Hachimura going forward, once the latter is healthy.</p><p>Hachimura averaged 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds in his rookie season, though he struggled defensively. Brooks might choose to run some lineups with Avdija at power forward and Hachimura at small forward, ideally using Avdija as a floor-spacer and playmaker.</p><p>In any case, Hachimura will miss the next few weeks before being reevaluated.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards forward Rui Hachimura out 3 weeks with an eye infection

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 18px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px;    font-size: 16px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: #0000FF;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 16px;    text-decoration: none;}ul {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 16px;}ol {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    padding: 0px 0px 0px 15px;    font-size: 16px;    border-left: 2px solid black;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: #333333;    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 12px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;    background-color: #EFEFEF;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article><header><figure><img src="https://clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/wizards-news-rui-hachimura-posterized-kevin-durant-after-out-muscling-him-for-rebound.jpg"><figcaption>ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>Wizards’ Rui Hachimura posterizes Kevin Durant after out-muscling him for rebound</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2020-12-13T18:51:57-08:00">December 13th, 6:51pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2020-12-13T18:52:25-08:00">December 13th, 6:52pm</time><address><a>Dijo Songco</a></address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Second year Washington Wizards player Rui Hachimura welcomed back Kevin Durant back to the NBA with a ferocious slam on Sunday night as the Brooklyn Nets hosted the Wizards in their first pre-season game. On his first professional basketball game in one and a half years, Durant saw himself on the wrong side of a poster after he was out-muscled by the 22 year old en route <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/sports/nba/washington-wizards/news">to a statement slam.</a></p><p>Watch Hachimura catch a body here via the Washington Wizards on <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1338264040968056832">Twitter</a>:</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="ro">Rui board. <br>RUI SLAM. 💪😤 <a href="https://t.co/k9FkM9DuUA" target="_blank">pic.twitter.com/k9FkM9DuUA</a></p><p>— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) <a href="https://twitter.com/WashWizards/status/1338264040968056832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank">December 13, 2020</a></p></blockquote><p></p></figure><p>It was early in the game and Durant was still getting a feel of his legs which Hachimura took full advantage of. Both Durant and Hachimura were fighting for the board from a Thomas Bryant miss but the 6’8″ Wizards standout outreached the two-time Finals MVP and tapped the ball to board before finally getting the offensive rebound. Once Hachimura got his balance, he soared and met Durant at the rim before flushing the ball down.</p><p>This was the first time Durant actually played against Hachimura since he was out the entire 2019-2020 season, Hachimura’s rookie year with the Wizards.</p><p>After this play, it’s safe to assume that Hachimura definitely made an impression on the former MVP. Though Durant and the Nets came out with the 119-114 W over the Wizards, plays like this will surely give the young Japanese some much-needed confidence as he heads into his second year in the league.</p><p>Hachimura had a promising debut last season for the Wizards. He averaged 13.5 points per game and 6.1 rebounds in 30.1 minutes of play per contest. This season, look for the Toyama native to build on his numbers as he’s set to again be a shoe-in for Scott Brooks’ starting unit.</p><p>Don’t sleep on Rui with the Wizards.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Wizards’ Rui Hachimura posterizes Kevin Durant after out-muscling him for rebound

Cam Reddish

Gerald Green

Tim Hardaway Jr.

Matthew Dellavedova

Rui Hachimura

Jae Crowder

Tyus Jones

Bam Adebayo

Enes Kanter

Trey Burke

2019-20 All-Rookie

Washington Wizards

Career

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1365205065137463303/

Finishing the road trip with a great W!! 🙏🏾 #黒侍 #BlackSamurai 

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1359050772764327942/

Thank you all for the birthday wishes!!
Appreciate it! Big 23🔥

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1359050303832809473/

たくさんのお祝いメッセージありがとうございます！23歳になりました！

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1344872387150573569/

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1344871572767703041/

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1343782244419330049/

Congratulations to my high school, Meisei High School, for winning the Winter Cup🏆 Very proud of you guys!

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1343781489922682880/

僕らが3連覇した時よりも価値がある優勝。

https://twitter.com/rui_8mura/status/1343781271026229249/

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.3	5.7	1.8	0.1	0.7

2020-21 SEASON STATS
PTS	REB	AST	BLK	STL
13.3	5.7	1.8	0.1	0.7

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Wizards’ Rui Hachimura posterizes Kevin Durant after out-muscling him for rebound