The Lakers have lost several games this season in different ways. Late Saturday, when the Lakers had a chance to close out the game against the Kings, they seemed ready to try again.

After two missed shots by Anthony Davis at the free throw line with 12 seconds left and the Lakers leading by three points, Rui Hachimura made the best play of the game, tipping the rebound to AD before eventually finding its way to Austin Reaves at midfield.

This time, Reaves missed his two free throws to seal the win, all thanks to Rui’s tremendous play.

“I knew the other guy next to me was going to AD, so I knew if I applied a little bit of pressure I could get into a good position and get out,” Rui said after the game. “I did that all season. But this was urgently needed. I felt a bit guilty about missing the last three rounds, so I felt like I could bring something back to the team.”

As Rui noted, he had a chance for a huge 3-pointer with 1:20 left and the Lakers took a lead of six on a wide-open look from the corner. Although that shot missed, it made amends moments later.

What made this rebound even more impressive was who it was against. Since Sacramento substituted Alex Len in the rebounding lineup alongside Domantas Sabonis, Rui was paired with the latter.

The board crowned a great evening on the glass for Rui. That final rebound gave him a season-high three offensive tackles of 11. Rui’s work on the glass continues to be extremely positive for him this season as he regularly proves his importance to the team.

“He was great,” LeBron James said after Saturday’s win. “He pays attention to details. He knows what we do every night. We rely on him. He is a big piece of our puzzle. The biggest possession of the game was an offensive rebound against one of the best rebounders in our league (in Domantas), Sabonis. It was super important and helped us win the game.”

A comparison between the player Rui was when he joined the Lakers almost two years ago and who he is now shows how much he has improved since moving to Los Angeles. This season in particular, he has made great strides, with his rebounding being the most noticeable improvement.

And that improvement single-handedly secured a big win for the Lakers on Saturday.

You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.