Even Deandre Ayton is ‘a little confused’ by NBA Cup rules
New NBA Cup added some spice to the regular season. Added in 2023 to add extra stakes to the regular season, the NBA Cup has since become a staple of the league. However, years after its inception, teams are still not too sure about the rules. Just ask Los Angeles Lakers center DeAndre Ayton.
With The Lakers are comfortable against the New Orleans Pelicans, Ayton found himself next to the basket with just 30 seconds left. The unspoken rules of basketball often dictate that if a team is ahead, they should refrain from running up the score. However, that goes out the window during the NBA Cup.
Teammate Marcus Smart had to remind Ayton that he needed to score as opposed to scoring. Later, the Lakers center admitted it he was still a little confused on NBA Cup rules.
“I was a little confused,” Ayton said, via Dave McMenamin . “… Listen, bro, I’m just trying to get some depth and get out of here… See, I didn’t want to shoot it because I was like, ‘Willie Green.’
Tiebreakers during the NBA Cup are determined by the points difference between the teams. In the event the Lakers are tied with the second team in their group, the team with the higher point differential gets the higher seed. Basically, that means every point counts, because it could be the difference between making the playoffs and not.
However, outside of that minor hiccup, Ayton had a great game. The Lakers center finished the game with 20 points, 16 rebounds, two steals and a game-high block.
The Lakers want to regain the NBA Cup trophy. They won the inaugural NBA Cup, then dubbed the “Tournament of the Season,” but lost last season.
2025-11-15 15:44:00
