One of the surprises of the season, Deandre Ayton has become an important piece for the Lakers this season. As a result, his unexpected absence halfway through Sunday’s game against the Jazz was certainly
felt.
Ayton played in the first half in Utah for the purple and gold, but remained in the locker room at halftime and did not return.
The Lakers used a strong second half from Maxi Kleber to secure the win in Utah. After the game, head coach JJ Redick did not have much of an update on Ayton.
“I don’t know what’s going on with him,” Redick said. “He had gotten hit in his leg in the first half and was kind of limping through it, then couldn’t in the second half.”
Jaxson Hayes started the second half and played 18 minutes on the night, but it was Kleber who stepped up big. He played 14 minutes, all of those in the second half, and stepped up in a big way, closing the game down the stretch.
If Ayton does miss time, Kleber will certainly be the next man up and Sunday at least showed he is capable of contributing in those minutes, too.
“Everybody’s got to be ready,” Redick said postgame. “I don’t want to speculate on [Ayton]. We feel confident we have enough options.”
The Lakers will play on Tuesday against the Clippers, then Friday against the Mavericks. Both games are NBA Cup games. The team is undefeated in the NBA Cup, so getting Ayton back will be a boost in their hopes of getting to the knockout rounds.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on BlueSky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
