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Washington Wizards rookie Rui Hachimura recorded a team-high 18 points and nine rebounds during an 89-82 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Hachimura opened up the Wizards’ first scrimmage game with a mid-range shot to score the first basket of the game. Later in the first quarter, Hachimura hit a short turnaround jumper and on the ensuing possession, grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and drew a foul.
Overall, Hachimura looked to be aggressive throughout the contest. He showed some rust on a few occasions after he missed a fastbreak layup early in the game and then was blocked by Nuggets rookie Bol Bol on another play.
1⃣8⃣ points & 9⃣ rebounds for Rui Hachimura!#WizNuggets | @rui_8mura pic.twitter.com/RrAMmuSuGB
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) July 22, 2020
Hachimura showed off his new jump-shot on several occasions during the scrimmage and it looked to be an improvement from when he last played with the Wizards. He went 1-of-2 from 3-point range but his form and the arc on the ball were encouraging.
Wizards head coach Scott Brooks said this week that Hachimura will have a chance to lead the team during the season restart. Although Wednesday’s performance was just a scrimmage game, it appears as though Hachimura is taking advantage of that opportunity.
The Wizards play their next scrimmage game on Saturday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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