Are Deandre Ayton, Jackson Hayes playing tonight? Lakers vs. Blazers injury report

The The Los Angeles Lakers enter Saturday night looking to get back into the win column as they face the Portland Trail Blazers on the road, but their frontcourt availability remains uncertain.

Los Angeles (24-15) on the list of centers Deandre Ayton and Jackson Hayes like questionable in his Saturday morning injury report ahead of the game at 10:00 PM ET on NBA TV. Ayton is dealing with left knee pain, while Hayes is dealing with left hamstring tendinopathy.

Ayton, the 27-year-old former No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, was last seen in A 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday. He logged 32 minutes and finished with 12 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block while shooting 6-for-10 from the field.

In his first season in Los Angeles, Ayton provided consistent interior production. In 35 games, he averaged 13.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and one block per game while shooting a career-high 68 percent from the field in 29.4 minutes per game.

Hayes took the floor for the last time on Monday at The Lakers lost to the Sacramento Kings 124-112. The 25-year-old center had 12 points, five rebounds and one assist while going 5-for-6 in 19 minutes.

Injuries to Deandre Ayton, Jaxon Hayes leave Lakers short against Trail Blazers

Now in his third season in Los Angeles, Hayes has assumed a rotating role off the bench and in occasional starts. He is averaging 6.3 points and four rebounds per game while shooting a career-best 76.6 percent in 32 appearances, including four starts, while playing 17.6 minutes per contest.

Los Angeles was already lacking in the backcourt. Star guardian Luka Doncic was ruled out on Friday due to pain in his left groinand Austin Reeves remains sidelined with a left calf strain suffered in the Lakers’ Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets.

Saturday’s contest is off to a rough start for the Lakers. After facing Portland (20-22), Los Angeles will return home to host the Toronto Raptors on Sunday night at Cripto.com Arena before opening an eight-game road trip against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday.

The availability of Ayton and Hayes becomes a key factor as Los Angeles deals with injuries and looks to stabilize its rotation in a demanding stretch of the schedule.