Deandre Ayton made history for the Lakers tonight as he became the only player to ever record 25 points while shooting 100% from the field with zero turnovers.
Moreover, he’s only the fourth player in the Lakers’ history to score 25 points in a game with 10 rebounds and 100% efficiency from the field, after Mitch Kupchak, Wilt Chamberlain, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Therefore, a dominant night for Ayton helped the Lakers come away with a 110-93 win over the Raptors. He finished the game with 25 points, 13 rebounds, one assist, and one block while shooting 10-10 from the field (100 FG%).
Following the game, Ayton spoke to Mike Trudell on the sidelines and addressed his game tonight. He revealed how the Lakers converted defense to smooth transition offense and how Luka Doncic and LeBron James helped him get several comfortable looks tonight.
“We didn’t want to take another L and bring it home. JJ was really on us about taking pride in our defense and closing out possessions,” began Ayton.
“Toronto is a hard-crashing team; they still had a lot of second chances, but we still had the chance to get the dub. But we still have a lot to learn in closing out defensive possessions,” said Ayton on the Lakers’ defense tonight.
“Really them just running the floor, crashing the glass hard, and just posting up, making it a physical game in the beginning,” said Ayton on where he found his rhythm on the floor tonight.
“The refs let us play tonight, especially when it came to pace and a little physicality to the game. That’s where I do well, so I felt good tonight. I really appreciate Luka and LeBron for finding me and getting me in my spots to get me some easy looks.”
The Lakers’ head coach, JJ Redick, heard about the elite company that Ayton joined tonight. He spoke about it during the postgame press conference.
“He was phenomenal. He’s had a number of these games where he scores efficiently. But from a production standpoint, to get 20+ points, 10+ rebounds, he’s had games like this, which are huge for our team.”
Redick further elaborated on how Ayton’s teammates began trusting him much more in this game, and he made some tough, physical plays to ensure that he doesn’t miss a shot from the floor tonight.
During a time when the Lakers were reportedly contemplating moving on from Ayton as a foundational piece, and his role on the team was the subject of intense discussion, such a performance reinforces the idea that Ayton might be a long-term solution if the Lakers remain patient.
They improved to 25-16 following the win over the Raptors tonight. The Lakers will now go on an eight-game road stretch beginning with a clash against the Nuggets in Denver on Tuesday, January 20.
