![\"JJ](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2254993477-e1775858189491.jpg\")
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\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGetty\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
JJ Redick speaks with Deandre Ayton during a Los Angeles Lakers game, as the center responded after being called out by his head coach.<\/p>\n
Deandre Ayton<\/a> made it clear he heard the message.<\/p>\n After being called out by JJ Redick<\/a> earlier in the week, the Los Angeles Lakers<\/a> center responded with both his play and his words following Thursday\u2019s 119-103 win over the Golden State Warriors<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel like when I\u2019m not doing what I\u2019m supposed to do, it\u2019s contagious,\u201d Ayton said<\/a>. \u201cI\u2019m hard on myself, especially when JJ is upset\u2026 I take pride in that.\u201d<\/p>\n The performance backed it up.<\/p>\n Ayton finished with 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and a block in 31 minutes, delivering his most efficient outing since the All-Star break.<\/p>\n Ayton Embraces Accountability After Redick\u2019s Call-Out<\/p>\n Ayton\u2019s response came less than 48 hours after Redick publicly challenged him following a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s having trouble catching the ball,\u201d Redick said earlier in the week. \u201cWe ran a bunch of plays for him. He\u2019s just had trouble catching the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Rather than push back, Ayton leaned into the criticism.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m one of those guys he is definitely talking to,\u201d Ayton said. \u201cI take pride in that.\u201d<\/p>\n The exchange highlighted the expectations placed on Ayton, particularly as the Lakers adjust to a depleted lineup.<\/p>\n Lakers Lean on Ayton With Stars Sidelined<\/p>\n With Luka Don\u010di\u0107<\/a> (hamstring) and Austin Reaves<\/a> (oblique) out, Ayton has been asked to take on a larger offensive role.<\/p>\n The transition has not been seamless.<\/p>\n During the Lakers\u2019 recent three-game losing streak, Ayton averaged just 8.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in fewer than 20 minutes per game.<\/p>\n Thursday\u2019s performance, however, showed a shift.<\/p>\n Over the last three games since Don\u010di\u0107 and Reaves went down, Ayton is averaging 12.3 points and 4.0 rebounds while seeing increased involvement in the offense.<\/p>\n Third-Quarter Surge Highlights Ayton\u2019s Impact<\/p>\n The Lakers made a deliberate effort to feature Ayton against Golden State, particularly in the third quarter.<\/p>\n \u201cHe played fantastic,\u201d Redick said<\/a>. \u201cThe third quarter he was just dominant\u2026 I thought he played fantastic throughout the game.\u201d<\/p>\n Ayton capitalized on post opportunities and mid-range looks, using his size and touch to exploit defensive mismatches.<\/p>\n His efficiency helped the Lakers generate consistent offense, with all five starters finishing in double figures.<\/p>\n Veteran Support Reinforces Confidence<\/p>\n Ayton\u2019s performance also drew praise from Udonis Haslem<\/a> during the NBA<\/a> on Prime broadcast.<\/p>\n \u201cI want you to know that you are still the guy,\u201d the former Miami Heat<\/a> captain said. \u201cDon\u2019t change the way you view yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n The message aligned with Ayton\u2019s mindset as he adjusted to increased responsibility.<\/p>\n Lakers Eye Homecourt Advantage in Playoffs<\/p>\n The win improved the Lakers to 51-29 as they continue to battle for playoff positioning in the Western Conference.<\/p>\n Los Angeles remains in a tight race with the Denver Nuggets<\/a> for the No. 3 seed and is also tied with the Houston Rockets<\/a> for the No. 4 spot, which carries homecourt advantage in the first round.<\/p>\n With only a few games remaining, consistency from players like Ayton has become increasingly important.<\/p>\n Ayton didn\u2019t avoid the criticism. He owned it.<\/p>\n And for one night, at least, he answered it \u2014 with both his words and his play.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a veteran NBA reporter for Heavy.com, covering the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. He brings over 20 years of experience across local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Originally from the Philippines, he is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/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","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty JJ Redick speaks with Deandre Ayton during a Los Angeles Lakers game, as the center responded after…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":385856,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[85,46,105],"class_list":["post-385855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=385855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/385855\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/385856"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=385855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=385855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=385855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}