After benching Deandre Ayton late in the fourth quarter of Friday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Lakers head coach JJ Redick said his starting center was “frustrated” with his limited role, while explaining his decision to end the game with Jaxon Hayes.
All that changed Sunday as Ayton finished with 15 points (6-of-8 FG), eight rebounds and three blocks, including a crucial five-minute stretch to close out the fourth quarter in the Lakers’ 120-114 victory over Memphis.
After entering the game at the 7:04 mark in the final quarter, Ayton had two blocks and four rebounds, including a critical offensive board, while making both his free throws. This stretch also included Ayton finishing an alley-oop dunk off Luka Doncic that helped the Lakers claim a 98-96 lead at the 5:42 mark, when the game hung in balance.
Deandre Ayton Shines for Lakers
Ayton was also a monster on the defensive end, as he helped the Lakers hold the Grizzlies to 49 points on 36% shooting in the second half.
After his performance, Ayton said he was locked in late in the fourth quarter.
“Just making effort plays down the stretch,” Ayton said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “With ‘Bron [LeBron James] and Luka [Doncic] really leading the way and talking on both ends of the floor, and Jake [LaRavia] being aggressive on both ends.”
Ayton admitted that there was a playoff-like atmosphere at the end ofthe game as the Grizzlies tried to avoid back-to-back losses to their West rivals.
“They tried to get a little physical down the stretch,” Ayton said. “[It was] a playoff environment where everybody had to really guard your yard and close out these possessions because of how big and lengthy they were on the court.”
Deandre Ayton Responds to Redick
Ayton responded to Redick’s claims on Friday that he was “frustrated” with his role.
“Bigs can’t feed themselves,” Ayton said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I just try my best to do what I can to bring effort, and I trust my playmakers out there to find me.”
Entering Sunday’s game, Redick revealed the Lakers had a plan to get Ayton as many touches as possible to get him going. That’s precisely what happened as the Bahamian center scored the Lakers’ first field goal and was fed consistently throughout the game.
“I’m always looking for DA,” LeBron James said after the game. “And we’re always trying to figure out a way how we can get him the ball. It’s unfortunate what happened last game, and we weren’t able to find him as much as we want to, but we were able to make the adjustments.”
Redick was just as pleased with Ayton’s performance.
“He was great throughout the game,” Redick said of his starting center.
“I think that was good for him to just touch the basketball and feel like he’s part of the offense. It’s a tale as old as time for a big guy. That’s the reality of being a big: Someone has to pass you the ball. You’re not initiating the offense.”
The Lakers (22-11), who are 2-0 to start the new calendar year, will next begin a two-game road trip with back-to-back games against the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday and Wednesday. With Rui Hachimura not traveling with the team, Jake LaRavia — the unsung hero of the last two wins — will continue to start.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Lakers’ Deandre Ayton Sounds Off on JJ Redick’s ‘Frustrated’ Claims appeared first on Heavy Sports.