The Los Angeles Lakers started off hot to open their second round matchup with the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder. A quick 7-0 run had Lakers fans shouting ‘stop the count, end the game here.' While LeBron James led that charge, Deandre Ayton was just as important.
DA had a big-time offensive putback and was battling hard on the defensive glass. That momentum was killed in the second half as LA was outscored 47-37 throughout the final 24 minutes of Game 1.
One of the biggest factors in the Thunder's major second-half swing was the lack of discipline Ayton displayed defensively. Just a few minutes into the third, DA picked up his fourth foul and would sit the rest of the quarter. What made things even worse was that he shot 0-of-4 in that quarter.
With JJ Redick trying to preserve Ayton for the final frame, LA was forced to lean on Jaxson Hayes, and while that might fly in the G League playoffs, this is the NBA Playoffs. When you are going up against an opponent like the Thunder, playing Hayes as your primary big for almost an entire quarter is a death sentence.
Deandre Ayton wasted what could’ve been a massive Lakers night
Coming into Game 1 of this series, there was no denying Ayton was going to be an X-factor.
First off, OKC has one of the most deadly frontcourts in the entire league with their trio of Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams, and Isaiah Hartenstein. Secondly, they are a team that prioritizes high-percentage shots and love getting to the basket for easy twos. Hence, why the presence Ayton provides in the paint is that much more important.
After the way he closed out LA's first-round series with the Houston Rockets, expectations were high. Ayton averaged 14.3 rebounds per game across the final three games of the series, while also doing a much better job as a rim protector.
To start the game, he was exactly that. By halftime, he had 10 points and six rebounds and played a huge role in the Lakers trailing by only eight entering the break.
The issue is that he had to be extremely careful defensively as he entered the third with three fouls. Similar to the rest of this season, Ayton just couldn't help himself picking up his fourth foul around the eight-minute mark, ending the Lakers' chances of a win. On top of that, picking up his fourth foul clearly affected him, as his body language was poor and his impact was zero through the final frame.
It's one thing to have your teammates not show up and sabotage a great game, but when you sink your own ship, conversations get uncomfortable.
The Lakers are thin at the five spot, they have been all season, and Ayton has gotten continued opportunity to prove his nay-sayers wrong. Every time he appears to be building momentum and on the verge of turning a new leaf, everything comes crashing back down to reality. It's like that lyric in Lose Yourself, and in this case, Ayton is B-Rabbit/He, "He's choking, how? Everybody's joking now. The clock's run out, time's up."
Time is indeed almost up for Ayton and the Lakers. Unless he can pull a full 180 like B-Rabbit in 8 Mile, the Lakers' chances of winning this series are zero.
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