{"id":181705,"date":"2026-03-16T08:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T12:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=181705"},"modified":"2026-03-16T21:57:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T01:57:04","slug":"lakers-deandre-ayton-stepping-up-before-crucial-stretch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/03\/16\/lakers-deandre-ayton-stepping-up-before-crucial-stretch\/","title":{"rendered":"Lakers’ Deandre Ayton Stepping Up Before Crucial Stretch"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether it was his <\/span>\u201ccrunk juice\u201d<\/span><\/a> or some other source of motivation, it\u2019s clear <\/span>something<\/span><\/i> has gotten into <\/span>Deandre Ayton<\/span><\/a>, who is back to being an engaged, physical center the Lakers need to succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ayton has become the talk of the town for the right reasons as of late, between double-doubles against the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls and clutch plays against three-time MVP <\/span>Nikola Jokic<\/span><\/a> and the Denver Nuggets. With another five games coming against a series of contenders, the former No. 1 pick\u2019s play will be vital going forward.<\/span><\/p>\n

Lakers’ Deandre Ayton Stepping Up Before Crucial Stretch<\/h2>\n

Ayton\u2019s Energy and Focus Paying Dividends for LA<\/h3>\n

As the Lakers ride the momentum of a five-game winning streak, Ayton has made his presence felt throughout the process, only missing a Mar. 6 win over the Pacers due to a knee injury. It started with a modest matchup against the New York Knicks (six points, four rebounds), where head coach <\/span>JJ Redick praised Ayton<\/span><\/a> for his effort and defense. Then came a pair of double-doubles against the Timberwolves (14 points, 12 rebounds) on Mar. 10 and Bulls (23 points, ten rebounds) on Mar. 12, where the big man appeared to return toward the <\/span>20-point, ten-rebound center he was at the start of the season<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFelt like I picked up my energy and my focus,\u201d <\/span>Ayton said<\/span><\/a> after the win against Chicago. \u201cYou know, I finally caught up with the team. That\u2019s about it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Overtime W vs. Denver<\/h4>\n

<\/smartframe-embed><\/p>\n

As the spotlight of the Lakers-Nuggets game veers between <\/span>Luka Doncic<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>LeBron James<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Austin Reaves<\/span><\/a> and even <\/span>Marcus Smart<\/span><\/a>, Ayton\u2019s contributions shouldn\u2019t go unnoticed, either.<\/span><\/p>\n

While Saturday\u2019s overtime win may not have produced another elite stat line from him (nine points, nine rebounds, two assists, one block), Ayton\u2019s <\/span>crunch-time presence<\/span><\/a>\u2014a rarity prior to that game\u2014was eye-opening.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

So many notable performances by Lakers players tonight and certainly worth mentioning Deandre Ayton\u2019s performance in overtime: four points on 2-for-2 shooting, 2 reb and a blocked shot on the three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.<\/p>\n

Jokic in OT: two points on 1-for-4 shooting, 1 reb<\/p>\n

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 15, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n