Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton said he intends to replicate his decisive Game 6 performance against the Houston Rockets when the Lakers begin their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Doing the exact same thing, but really staying poised,” Ayton explained after practice. “We have to be patient with this team. They’re super consistent and efficient.” He pointed to the close-out victory over Houston as the template, noting that the Lakers’ physical tone “from the jump ball” must carry over to every game against Oklahoma City.
Regular-season struggles fuel new approach
Ayton’s numbers against the Thunder during the regular season were modest—5.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 24.3 minutes over four meetings. The 7-footer acknowledged that Los Angeles will need greater production now that the stakes are higher.
“Playing bigger. Just being relentless on the glass, protecting the rim as much as possible, letting them out of my paint,” he said. “They generate offense by touching the paint, having 50-plus points in the paint. I’m just looking forward to protecting the paint as best as I can and staying on the floor as long as possible.”
Preparing for a hostile environment
Games 1 and 2 will be played at Paycom Center, where Ayton expects the Thunder crowd to be a factor. “You can’t hear yourself,” he said of the arena noise. “Their fans are thunderous. You can hear the floor shaking, the bleachers—you can’t even hear a play call. You gotta be super dialed in.”
The Lakers enter the series as clear underdogs against the defending champions, but Ayton’s all-around impact has been an X-factor throughout the season. A road win in Oklahoma City, he believes, could shift the series momentum in Los Angeles’ favor.
Source: LakersNation.com
