Deandre Ayton delivered one of his strongest performances as a Laker against the Orlando Magic, but the result only added to the frustration surrounding Los Angeles’ uneven stretch. Ayton finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds, yet the Los Angeles Lakers fell 110–109 at home, closing their eight-game homestand with a four-and-four record.
“It’s a bit upsetting,” Ayton said following the loss. “But I think we got like 24 games left, we got a lot of chances to just get in as good of a position as we can. It did feel weird in the home stand just being 4-4 and it was tough losses playing against some really good teams. But we play every other day, so just get back in the lab and get ready for the next game.”
The Lakers had controlled large portions of the Magic game, but the final minutes told a different story. Ayton echoed what several teammates and coaches pointed to afterward: execution and defense late simply were not good enough.
“How did it get away from us? Down the stretch, trading too many baskets,” Ayton said. “I felt like we didn’t get the stops we needed. [On the] 50/50 balls, we didn’t get them to close out possessions correctly. [With] loose balls and them converting, even with offensive second chances and hitting us with daggers late in the stretch. So, that kind of like, had us on our heels a little bit.”
Individually, Ayton’s night was fueled by early aggression. He scored 17 of his 21 points in the first half, repeatedly capitalizing on switches and interior looks created by the Lakers’ playmakers.
“Well, my playmakers were feeding me the ball, and they just kept telling me do the same thing over and over,” Ayton said. “So, you know, I just was making sure I was physical and I tried my best to score closest to the rim as much as possible so I can keep getting it down there. Tonight, they believed in their switches a lot, so I’m glad I got a chance to punish that just to switch it up a little bit and give them a different look.”
