Winning the physical battle was crucial to the Los Angeles Lakers' 4-2 Western Conference semifinal series win over the Golden State Warriors, Japanese forward Rui Hachimura said Friday.
Speaking to reporters after the Lakers clinched the best-of-seven series with a 122-101 victory, Hachimura said the team was determined to impose itself physically to blunt defending champion Golden State's offensive firepower.
"Their offense is so different. They are really physical," Hachimura said. "They're a great team, but we didn't back down."