The Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Washington Wizards on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena and secured a comfortable 120-101 win despite being without Luka Dončić. Beyond the result, the game featured a surprising moment off the court, as Anthony Davis was spotted on the Wizards’ bench following his trade at the February deadline.
Why Rui Hachimura Was Shocked to See Anthony Davis on the Wizards’ Bench
Although Davis played a key role in the Lakers’ 2020 championship run, Rui Hachimura only shared the floor with him for about a season and a half after joining Los Angeles in 2023. Seeing his former teammate in a different uniform, especially on a familiar bench, caught him completely off guard.
“I was looking at the bench, and I saw AD, and I was shocked, I totally forgot about [the trade to the Wizards],” he told reporters post-game.
The reaction is understandable given how quickly things changed. Davis began the year with the Dallas Mavericks before being dealt to Washington on Feb. 4 in a blockbuster move.
The Mavericks sent Davis along with Jaden Hardy, D’Angelo Russell, and Dante Exum, while the Wizards returned a package that included Khris Middleton, Marvin Bagley III, Malaki Branham, AJ Johnson, a 2026 first-round pick, a 2030 protected first-round pick via the Golden State Warriors, and three second-round picks.
Davis has yet to make his debut for Washington as he continues to recover from left-hand ligament damage. When healthy, however, he remains one of the league’s most dominant two-way players, averaging 20.4 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.7 blocks this season.
Without him, the Wizards struggled to keep up with the Lakers. LeBron James led the way with his third triple-double of the season, finishing with 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists and extending his own record for being the oldest to achieve the feat.
He received strong support across the roster, with five other Lakers scoring in double figures. Austin Reaves, Jaxson Hayes, and Luke Kennard each added 19 points, while Hachimura chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds, and Deandre Ayton added 12 points and 7 rebounds.
With the win, the Lakers improved to 49-26 and remain third in the Western Conference. They will look to build on that momentum when they host the Cleveland Cavaliers on the second night of a back-to-back.
Meanwhile, the Wizards fell to 17-58 and remain near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They are set to host the Philadelphia 76ers on April 1, with Davis potentially nearing his long-awaited debut.
