The Los Angeles Lakers are back on track, and Deandre Ayton's stellar performance against the Toronto Raptors was a key factor in their dominant victory. With key players returning from injury, Coach JJ Redick had more firepower at his disposal, which was evident in their impressive 110-93 win. But, the road ahead is challenging.
The Lakers welcomed back Luka Doncic (recovering from left groin soreness), center Deandre Ayton (overcoming left knee soreness), and backup center Jaxson Hayes (battling left hamstring tendinopathy) for the game. Only Austin Reaves (sidelined with a left calf strain) remained out. Adding to the intensity, this was a back-to-back game, with even LeBron James participating after a loss in Portland.
When healthy, the Lakers are a formidable team. Their strength shines when Doncic, James, and Ayton all score at least 20 points, as they did in this game, holding the Raptors to a season-low score.
Before this game, the Lakers had lost five of their previous six games, conceding over 130 points in their last two losses.
"This is a tough time of year for everyone in the NBA," Redick commented, as his team improved to 25-16 at the halfway point of their 82-game season. "There are many teams dealing with injuries to rotation players, starters, and even All-Stars, which makes an already difficult part of the season even tougher. The guys have done a great job of fighting through it, and we're starting to get healthy, hoping to get AR (Austin Reaves) back soon."
Ayton was the star of the show, delivering a double-double with 25 points and 13 rebounds. He achieved a perfect 10-for-10 from the field and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.
And this is the part most people miss... Ayton's performance was historic. He became only the third player in Lakers history to shoot 100% from the field on 10 attempts with at least 10 rebounds, joining Wilt Chamberlain (March 11, 1969) and Mitch Kupchak (Nov. 10, 1981).
Furthermore, Ayton became the first player in the NBA this season to score 20 points with perfect shooting on at least 10 field-goal attempts, and only the 34th player in league history to achieve this feat.
"I definitely give it up to my teammates," Ayton said. "They find me in the easiest spots ever, and I got some easy ones tonight, for sure."
Doncic contributed 25 points and 7 assists, while James added 24 points and 7 assists. Rui Hachimura scored 10 points off the bench.
Doncic and Ayton made their presence felt early in the game. Despite picking up three fouls and a technical foul in the first quarter, Doncic scored 18 points and provided 5 assists in the first half. His three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left in the second quarter gave the Lakers a 55-54 lead. Ayton was active from the start, finishing the first half with 12 points on 6-for-6 shooting and 7 rebounds.
But here's where it gets controversial... The Lakers are now preparing for what's known as the "Grammys Trip" on Tuesday, an eight-game stretch on the road that will last about two and a half weeks. This trip includes games against Denver, the Clippers, Dallas, Chicago, Cleveland, Washington, the Knicks, and the Nets.
This trip comes after the Lakers played five games in seven days, including two sets of back-to-back games.
"We finished five games in eight nights and started five games in seven nights, and tonight’s the culmination of that," Redick said before Sunday’s game. "So it’s been a difficult stretch, particularly with injuries and certain games."
Redick planned to play 10 players, a change from the usual nine-man rotation. All 10 players played crucial roles in keeping the team fresh and energized.
"Again, I’m not blaming anything, but this in-season tournament cup with that break has just created a very imbalanced cadence of games," Redick said, referring to the NBA Cup tournament. "And outside of All-Star break, I think our next two-day break between games is like the end of March, or something like that. So, you kind of have no choice but to prioritize the rest and recovery."
What do you think about the Lakers' performance? Do you agree with Coach Redick's comments on the challenging schedule? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
