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Deandre Ayton didn’t miss a shot or have a turnover in the Los Angeles Lakers’ win over the Philadelphia 76ers, but head coach JJ Redick wanted to talk about another aspect of his game.<\/p>\n
The Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> once again found a way to get another win, this time coming off LeBron <\/a>James\u2019 fourth-quarter heroics against the Philadelphia 76ers<\/a>. But while he made headlines for his late-game shot-making and closeout steal, Deandre Ayton<\/a> quietly put up his most efficient night in a Lakers uniform.<\/p>\n Ayton finished the game with 14 points, 12 rebounds, and two assists, going a perfect 7\/7 from the field with no turnovers. According to Real Sports<\/a>, it\u2019s the first time a Lakers\u2019 starter has had a double-double with no misses or turnovers.<\/p>\n But after the game, head coach JJ Redick <\/a>didn\u2019t focus on his offensive performance, but rather, his play on the defensive end of the floor.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI thought DA, in particular, led on that end of the floor for us. We just talked about it in the locker room; he did a ton of stuff,\u201d Redick said to reporters after the game.<\/a><\/p>\n Following his coaches\u2019 comments, Ayton went on to say he was baffled by the praise he got, adding that he was just doing what he had to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n Deandre Ayton when asked about his defensive effort:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019mma be real: I don\u2019t know what (JJ) talking about. I don\u2019t know. I just do what I have to do. I thank him but I ain\u2019t know what I did out there\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2018m gonna be real, I don\u2019t know what (Redick) is talking about. I don\u2019t even know,\u201d he said<\/a>. \u201cI was asking, \u2018What do you mean?\u2018 I just do what I have to do.\u201d<\/p>\n Though Ayton still sits behind Luka Doncic<\/a>, Austin Reaves<\/a>, and James in the Lakers\u2019 pecking order, he\u2019s had a resurgence this season and has quieted the rumors<\/a> that the franchise would be looking to add another big man to the roster.<\/p>\n Redick\u2019s Praise of Ayton\u2019s Defense<\/p>\n Ayton has never been known as a top-tier defender throughout his career. However, with the Lakers, he\u2019s perhaps taken on a bigger rim-protecting role than when he was with the Phoenix Suns<\/a> or Portland Trail Blazers<\/a>. But besides in the paint, at least according to Redick, the seven-footer was everywhere on the court against the Sixers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe gave up 60 points in the first half, and then to come back in the second half and defend the way we did was awesome,\u201d Redick added. \u201cHe was in drop being disruptive\u2026 Getting loose balls. He was blocking shots. He was switching on to [Tyrese] Maxey. Just whatever we needed him to do on that end of the floor in the second half, he was great.\u201d<\/p>\n Per previous reporting<\/a>, Ayton appears to be the type of player who responds well to positive reinforcement. But even after his coach\u2019s comments, the center seemed in shock at the praise.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Ayton said when asked if he thought he played well defensively against Philadelphia. \u201cI ain\u2019t know what I did out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Ayton held opposing center Joel Embiid<\/a> to 16 points and seven rebounds, on a team-worst 4\/21 shooting. Tyrese <\/a>Maxey still found his points, but again, partially thanks to the help of the big man, he had four turnovers and couldn\u2019t help Philly regain a late lead.<\/p>\n Ayton\u2019s Perfect Offensive Game<\/p>\n Offensively, Ayton also had a standout performance, as mentioned. He didn\u2019t miss a single shot or commit a single turnover, a crucial key for the Lakers\u2019 four-point win. This season, he\u2019s been strong offensively, averaging 15.8 points and 8.8 rebounds on 70% from the floor, and he\u2019s been a consistent double-double for Los Angeles, a team that desperately needed some help in the paint.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not a perfect player, but he\u2019s an upgrade on what the Lakers had in the middle last season. And when he\u2019s at his best, like he was on Sunday, Ayton can be a very positive force without needing a whole lot of usage to do it,\u201d Billy Heyen wrote for The Sporting News.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Lakers\u2019 ball-handlers have continued to figure out how best to involve Ayton, and as that continues to come together, he\u2019s able to put together games like this one, where he could do no wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n Those ball handlers, in the form of Doncic and Reaves, didn\u2019t exactly match Ayton\u2019s efficiency in the game. Doncic was everywhere<\/a>, finishing with 31 points, 15 rebounds, and 11 assists, though on 9\/24 shooting with five turnovers. Reaves made only three of his 16 shots, finishing with 11 points.<\/p>\n While it\u2019s been those two mainly for the Lakers this season, it\u2019s fair to say the game against the Sixers was James\u2019<\/a> best since debuting this season. He had 29 points, ten of which came consecutively in the fourth quarter, along with seven rebounds and six assists.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI mean, that was amazing,\u201d Doncic said of his teammate<\/a>. \u201cThat was vintage Bron. We\u2019re happy he was there to save us.\u201d<\/p>\n The Lakers have now won 10 games in a row, and are second in the West at 17-6.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tEli Gregorski<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy Sports. He has years of sports writing experience covering the NBA, NFL, college football and basketball, international soccer, and Formula One. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder, where he was the assistant sports editor for the award-winning CU Independent student publication. More about Eli Gregorski<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Lakers\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t