Aiton gives ‘disturbing’ confession about mediocre household
The Los Angeles Lakers limped to the home team’s eight-game stretch with a mediocre 4-4 record after a dramatic loss to the Orlando Magic with 110-109. It came just days after a 111-89 loss at the hands of the rival Boston Celtics, which dropped them to 34-23 on the season.
Deandre Aytonwho starred with 21 points and 13 rebounds against the Magiche said something that can be true for most fans as well.
“It’s a bit disturbing. We still have a lot of chances to get into a better position. I felt strange at home because we only had 4-4.” he explainedper ESPN.
“It’s a bit unnerving… but we still have 24 games left.”
Deandre Ayton reflected on missed opportunities at home, late defensive lapses and the team’s focus on building momentum down the stretch. pic.twitter.com/zTi1NtlcFg— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) February 25, 2026
The Lakers played some great teams during this stretch, including the Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, and San Antonio Spurs.
“They were tough losses and we played against some really good teams. But … just get back in the lab and get ready for the next game,” Ayton concluded.
Of particular concern was the collapse against Orlando. It was their first loss of the season after holding the lead for three quarters, a scenario during which they were 25-0 entering the match.
Despite blowing a 12-point lead in the second half fueled by Austin Reaves scoring all 18 of his points after intermission, the Lakers’ defense collapsed. They were ignited by the masterpiece of Paolo Banchero with 36 points, while Wendell Carter Jr.
In fact, Ayton proved to be a silver lining, which is exactly what happened with LeBron against the Celtics. The 41-year-old became the first NBA player to score more than 43,000 points and tied Robert Parish for second in regular season games in NBA history with 1,600.
However, the Lakers ended up losing both games, although they were very much alive until the end against Orlando.
2026-02-25 15:06:00
