4 Takeaways from the Washington Wizards 119-118 win over the Dallas Mavericks
By Ethan Smith
Rui Hachimura is BACK!
Rui Hachimura was having a stellar rookie season until Isaac Bonga derailed everything with a swift kick between the legs. Obviously an accident, but it still sidelined Hachimura for 23 games.
The victory over Dallas was just his second game back from injury, but Hachimura looked like he hadn’t missed any time at all. Hachimura looked ok in his first game back. He 11 points and eight rebounds in the team’s loss to the Golden State Warriors. But against the Mavericks, Rui looked even more aggressive.
By the end of the first half, Hachimura had already racked up 16 points (on 75 percent shooting) and five rebounds, scoring from literally everywhere on the court. Corner threes, ferocious dunks, silky mid-range jumpers, easy free-throws…Rui was doing it all. He was even defending (*gasp*…they actually do that in D.C.?!), contesting shots at the time and running Dallas’s shooter off the three-point line.
In just his second game back from injury, it’s nice to see Hachimura staying aggressive and showing no real signs of rust. In fact, he actually looks more confident and more assertive since his return. We’ll see if that keeps up, but things are looking good.