As the Lakers were rolling through the final third of the NBA season, their identity complete with Rui Hachimura in the starting lineup and their offense humming, a trend was quietly developing.
The Lakers, over those 32 games with Hachimura cemented as a starter, were the second-best offense in the NBA in the first half, scoring 121.8 points per 100 possessions.
In those second halves of those game? The rating dropped to 114.9 points per 100 possessions — sixth best.
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Still good — but not as good as in the first half.