After being benched, Deandre Ayton made a comeback
THE Lakers and the Grizzlies they met twice in the space of three days. The first duel, which was fiercely contested, turned in favor of Los Angeles thanks to money and time well controlled. The end of the match Deandre Ayton came off the bench, JJ Redick preferred Jackson Hayes for the last minutes.
Asked after the meeting, the Lakers coach was extremely direct: Jackson Hayes, according to him, simply played better than the former Suns center…
But for the third and final meeting of the season between Los Angeles and Memphis, Deandre Ayton quickly stepped up. From the start, he is served inside by Luka Dončić. A few minutes later, the Slovenian found it again: the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft then scored four of the Lakers’ first eight points.
“The big boys can’t take the shots themselves”recalls Deandre Ayton. “Above all, I try to bring as much energy as possible and I believe that our playmakers will find me.”
Attendance at the end of the game!
This engagement continued until the end. In the final minutes, Deandre Ayton really stayed on the court and weighed in on both ends. On offense, he grabbed several offensive rebounds and even completed an alley-oop on a pass from Luka Doncic. But he also stands out in defense.
First, he secures a rebound after a missed shot by Jalen Wells, then throws LeBron James in transition: “The King” moves to the back with 2+1. On the next possession, Illiton vs. Jaren Jackson Jr., before doing it again, this time on Cam Spencer, to prevent Memphis from coming back with a minute left.
“He was good throughout the match”, underscores JJ Redick. “I think it was good for him to touch the ball and feel involved in the offense. It’s a story as old as grown-up time: somebody has to give you the ball. You can’t start the offense.”
Deandre Ayton finished with 15 points and 8 rebounds, 6/8 shooting, in just over 33 minutes, in the Lakers’ win (120-114). A performance that is in stark contrast to the previous matchup against the Grizzlies, where he was satisfied with 4 points and 6 rebounds…
“I’m still looking for DeAndre Ayton”insists LeBron James, aware that his teammate needs it. “We’re always looking for a way to get him the ball, and what happened last game was unfortunate. We weren’t able to find it as much as we would have liked, so we made adjustments.”
| Deandre Ayton | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saison | The team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | That | Pd | Ft | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | PHO | 71 | 30:45 | 58.5 | 0.0 | 74.6 | 3.1 | 7.1 | 10.3 | 1.8 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 16.3 |
| 2019-20 | PHO | 38 | 32:32 | 54.6 | 23.1 | 75.3 | 3.9 | 7.6 | 11.5 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 1.5 | 18.2 |
| 2020-21 | PHO | 69 | 30:39 | 62.6 | 20.0 | 76.9 | 3.3 | 7.2 | 10.5 | 1.4 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 14.4 |
| 2021-22 | PHO | 58 | 29:32 | 63.4 | 36.8 | 74.6 | 2.6 | 7.7 | 10.2 | 1.4 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 0.7 | 17.2 |
| 2022-23 | PHO | 67 | 30:22 | 58.9 | 29.2 | 76.0 | 2.6 | 7.4 | 10.0 | 1.7 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 18.0 |
| 2023-24 | BI | 55 | 32:26 | 57.0 | 10.0 | 82.3 | 3.2 | 7.9 | 11.1 | 1.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 16.7 |
| 2024-25 | BI | 40 | 30:09 | 56.6 | 18.8 | 66.7 | 3.1 | 7.1 | 10.2 | 1.6 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 14.4 |
| 2025-26 | LAL | 29 | 29:27 | 70.4 | 59.6 | 2.6 | 5.9 | 8.4 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 14.3 | |
How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / 3 points in an attempt; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.
2026-01-05 16:13:00
