Deandre Ayton on JJ Redick ‘not giving a**p’ about injuries
Short-handed The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 123-115 on Monday night, and the center Deandre Ayton provided insight into how the head coach JJ Redick‘s intensity helped lead the team due to early season injuries.
“JJ doesn’t care who’s there, you know, he wants to play Laker basketball,” Ayton told reporters after the win. “JJ has been in this game for a while, so I think we can trust him with anything he says. And he’s proven that several times.”
The Lakers were without Luka Doncic, LeBron James and Austin Reaves. Despite these absences and the fact that they trailed by as many as nine points in the third quarter, Los Angeles rallied and secured their fourth consecutive victory.
Ayton and forward Rui Hachimura combined for 57 points, and guard Nick Smith Jr. provided 25 points off the bench on 10-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-6. out of range.
“Just come together as a group, get a big win, especially with our best players,” Smith told ESPN’s Kevin Pelton after the game. “Bron, Luka, AR, those guys do a lot for us. Just to have a win like this for the young guys and other players to progress like this is big for us.”
Los Angeles would certainly prefer to have their three stars available at all times, but Redick has been able to use his bench effectively when needed.
“You have to sit there and blame guys like Jake LaRavia,” Ayton said. “He started this whole thing. You know, the next-man-up mentality. Show up, be on time and approach the game in a different way. JJ gave us opportunities like this when our guys are out and gave us freedom. You’ve got guys like Jake LaRavia and Nick Smith coming up.”
6-2 Lakers will host the 5-1 San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.
2025-11-04 16:27:00
