The Los Angeles Lakers faced perhaps their biggest test of the young season as they hosted the San Antonio Spurs and perhaps no one had more on their plate than center Deandre Ayton who would be the primary player tasked with trying to contain Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama.
Ayton more than handled his own as he finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Additionally, Ayton and the rest of the Lakers teamed up to hold Wembanyama to just 19 points and eight rebounds while causing him to foul out late in an exciting Lakers victory.
Adding to the atmosphere of this game was the fact that members of the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers were in the building. Mookie Betts and Will Smith were among the players in attendance and the Lakers honored the Dodgers on the court during the game. And Ayton admitted that he felt some extra pressure seeing the champs in the building.
“I ain’t going to lie: seeing the Dodgers, the champions, walk in, they put a lot of pressure on me,” Ayton said after the game. “I was a little nervous. I was dang, actually seeing them in person, I’ve been watching them through a glass the whole season. But yeah, it was definitely some pressure and the crowd was into it so it was definitely something to put on for the fans and send them home happy.”
Playing for the Lakers already adds a different level of pressure than suiting up for any other team in the league. The platform the Lakers provide and the lights they play under either brings the best or worst out of players and there are always celebrities and other top athletes in the building as well. What’s promising is that Ayton is thriving so far under these bright lights.
Ayton has posted three straight double-doubles in the games he has finished and is really settling into his role on this team, building chemistry with both of the Lakers star guards in Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. If he can continue to embrace this pressure and perform the way he has, he will prove the Lakers right in signing him this offseason and help push this team that much closer to contender status.
Deandre Ayton discusses how Lakers have overcome injuries for 7-2 start
The Lakers are now 7-2 this season despite LeBron James having yet to debut and both Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves missing multiple games. And Deandre Ayton spoke about how the Lakers have been able to succeed despite all of these early season injuries.
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