Rui Hachimura to return against Jazz originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Rui Hachimura, the Wizards’ fourth-leading scorer this season, will be back on the court as Washington plays at the Utah Jazz on Thursday night following a lengthy absence due to a bone bruise in his right ankle.
Hachimura, 24, last played on Nov. 18 against the Miami Heat. What was initially considered a minor ankle injury ended up causing him to miss 16 games, which is half of the 32 games the Wizards have played so far this season.
Hachimura will give the Wizards a needed lift amid a difficult stretch. They won on Tuesday at the Phoenix Suns, snapping a 10-game losing streak. The Wizards have lost 13 of their last 15 games.
Hachimura will add some offense to their bench, which has ranked 28th in offensive rating among NBA second units since he last played. With him they were moderately better, ranking 21st in offensive rating with him in the lineup.
Hachimura is averaging 11.6 points and 4.8 rebounds per game this season while shooting 48.1% from the field and 33.3% from three. Despite missing 16 of the Wizards’ 32 games, Hachimura still leads the team in double-digit scoring games off the bench (13).
With Hachimura back, that leaves guard Delon Wright as the lone long-term injury absence for the Wizards. He continues to be out since injuring his hamstring on Oct. 25, 28 games ago.
Kristaps Porzingis is listed as questionable on the injury report due to a non-COVID illness after missing Tuesday’s game. But Hachimura joins other teammates who have returned from injury recently including Bradley Beal, Will Barton and Monte Morris.
The Wizards are getting healthier and Hachimura is the latest to re-enter the mix.
