Ayton’s 10-for-10 Shooting Puts Him in Rare Lakers Company in Win Over Raptors
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LOS ANGELES — Deandre Ayton didn’t miss a shot Sunday night, powering the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over the Toronto Raptors at Crypto.com Arena. The center finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds on 10-for-10 shooting, securing the club’s return to the win column.
Ayton became the first NBA player this season to reach at least 20 points on perfect shooting with a minimum of 10 field-goal attempts. He is only the 34th player in league history to post such numbers while also collecting 10 or more rebounds.
The performance placed him in exclusive franchise company. Ayton is now just the third Laker to record a perfect night from the floor on 10 or more attempts with at least 10 boards, joining Hall of Famer Wilt Chamberlain (March 11, 1969) and former forward Mitch Kupchak (Nov. 20, 1981).
“I’m not gonna lie, that’s pretty cool,” Ayton said afterward. “But I definitely give it up to my teammates. They find me in the easiest spots and I got some easy ones tonight, for sure.”
The Lakers also turned in their stingiest defensive outing of the season, limiting Toronto to 93 points. Ayton credited the team’s collective effort and highlighted the impact of Luka Dončić and LeBron James. “Luka and Bron put pressure on the opponents in the paint, spreading off threes, getting lobs and dump-offs in the dunker spot. It was all in rhythm today,” he noted.
With a season-long eight-game road trip looming, Ayton emphasized a straightforward approach. “Keep going. Just keep going. Play hard every day,” he said.
Source: Lakers Nation
