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.
Via The Athletic‘s Fred Katz:
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.”
If you don’t know the reference, ask Isaac Bonga about it.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) February 9, 2021
Video via Zaglights on YouTube:
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.
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.
Beal was his dominant self with 35 points, five rebounds, and seven assists. On his 23rd birthday, Hachimura successfully found his footing in the game and notched 19 points along with a season-high 10 rebounds for Washington.
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 (he thought he was fouled). 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.
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.
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