Rui Hachimura got the better of fellow Japan forward Yuta Watanabe on Thursday as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a 12-point deficit to beat the Phoenix Suns 100-95.
With both players coming off the bench, Hachimura fared better on the night with seven points in 12 minutes compared to Watanabe's three points on a single long ball in 14 minutes at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles.
Anthony Davis went 10-for-17 from the field to lead the Lakers with 30 points, sinking all his seven free throws in a 13-point final quarter to lift his team out of an 84-72 hole. LeBron James scored 21 points while adding eight rebounds and nine assists.
Missing star players Devin Booker and Bradley Beal, the Suns got a game-high 39 points from Kevin Durant. The Arizona-based team led after each quarter only to fall short to the Western Conference finalists from last year.