Deandre

Ayton

While he did not offer much production as a scorer, Ayton more than held his own on the glass in Game 6. The Lakers center grabbed at least 10 rebounds in each of the final three games of the series, totaling 33 in Games 5 and 6. While the Lakers will need more offense from Ayton in the second round against Oklahoma City, at a minimum, he’ll need to be dominant on the glass for them to have any chance of pulling off what would be a major upset.

Ejected from Game 4 just over halfway through the third quarter, Ayton was around for the entirety of Game 5. And he lived up to the “DominAyton” nickname on the glass, grabbing ten offensive rebounds and 17 overall. Add in a good night of shooting the basketball, and the 7-footer finished with his third double-double of the series. Ayton and the Lakers will look to end the series on Friday in Houston, as they look to avoid having to play a Game 7 after winning the first three games.

Ayton was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul for a forearm that he delivered to the head of Rockets center Alperen Şengün. The Lakers center played 25 minutes, finishing with 19 points (9-of-12 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs), 10 rebounds and one blocked shot. Ayton’s early exit, the first of his NBA career, means more playing time for Jaxson Hayes.

No Luka Dončić or Austin Reaves means that there is more room for Ayton to step up offensively, and he played well in Saturday’s series opener. The 7-footer recorded a double-double on 80 percent shooting from the field while also leading the Lakers in rebounds. When Ayton is engaged early on, he’s usually fine for the rest of the night, which was the case in Game 1. The Lakers will need more of that from him if they’re to have a chance of winning the series.

It has been an up-and-down first year with the Lakers for Ayton, but he ended the regular season on a high note. This was his first 20-point double-double in a month, and he was also able to make an impact as a shot blocker. The health of Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves are the two biggest questions for the Lakers right now, but Ayton will also be a big factor for them. He’ll be matched up with Alperen Sengun in the first round of the playoffs, with Game 1 scheduled for Saturday.

Ayton bounced back from a lackluster three-point performance on Tuesday to reach the 20-point mark on Thursday for the first time since March 12 against the Bulls. He hardly missed shots and did the majority of his damage in the paint. The former first-overall pick didn’t contribute in many other statistical categories, but his scoring production against the Warriors was important, as the Lakers gear up for the playoffs.

The injuries suffered by Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves have opened things up for the other Lakers in the rotation. That includes Hayes, who scored a season-high 23 points in 27 minutes off the bench. He outplayed starter Deandre Ayton (13 points, four rebounds, one assist and one blocked shot), who logged 20 minutes. Nights like Sunday have not been the norm for Hayes; if they were, he would be the starter. But he’s capable of delivering unexpected production on occasion.

Hayes had his best defensive night of the season on Friday, with the five blocks being one shy of his career-high. As a result, he played 26 minutes while starter Deandre Ayton (nine points, seven rebounds, one steal and three blocks) logged 22. Hayes remains a player who should only be in fantasy lineups on nights when Ayton is not available, but he should be applauded for his performance on Friday.

Ayton is back after sitting out Wednesday’s win over the Pacers. As a result, Jaxson Hayes will come off the bench, which limits his fantasy value.

Ayton was downgraded from questionable to out as the Lakers look to rebound from Monday’s loss, a game in which the former first-overall pick posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. With Ayton now sidelined, Maxi Kleber and Jaxson Hayes could see more minutes than usual.