Deandre Ayton Admits He Missed Key Basket in NBA Cup Win After Forgetting Point-Differential Rule
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Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton said he was unaware of the NBA Cup’s point-differential tiebreaker when he chose not to take an uncontested layup in the closing seconds of Friday night’s 116-108 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center.
The Nov. 14 matchup marked the Lakers’ second Group B game in the Emirates NBA Cup and the third stop on a five-game road trip. Despite New Orleans entering at 2-9 and missing Zion Williamson and other starters, the Pelicans cut a double-digit deficit to single digits twice before Los Angeles secured the win.
With the Lakers leading by eight and the shot clock off, Ayton dribbled out the final possession instead of scoring. New Orleans added four points in the last 30 seconds, trimming Los Angeles’ margin of victory and its Cup point differential.
“I was a little confused,” Ayton told reporters postgame. “I didn’t even know. I’m just trying to get the dub and get up out of here. I didn’t really want to shoot it … Ain’t we just got to win the game? What does it matter about the points?”
The 7-footer learned about the rule in the locker room. “Oh, so that’s why Marcus Smart was on my tail like that,” he said with a laugh, recalling teammate Smart urging him to score. “I done messed up. Oh, that’s bad.”
Los Angeles sits atop West Group B at 2-0 with a +19 differential. The team finishes group play against the L.A. Clippers and Dallas Mavericks. The Lakers failed to advance past group play last season and are aiming for a return to Las Vegas, where they captured the inaugural NBA Cup.
Ayton’s overall performance remained strong: he posted 20 points and 16 rebounds on 10-for-11 shooting in 36 minutes. Head coach JJ Redick praised the former No. 1 pick’s impact, saying Ayton is proving he is “a winning basketball player” in Los Angeles’ system.
Source: Lakers Nation
