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Deandre Ayton of the Los Angeles Lakers was a late scratch against the Golden State Warriors.
The Los Angeles Lakers played without Luka Doncic and Deandre Ayton against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Doncic missed his first game after suffering a hamstring injury, while Ayton was a late scratch due to knee soreness.
Ayton wasn’t even on the Lakers’ initial injury report, but he experienced discomfort in his right knee and was ruled out for the game. Jaxson Hayes filled in for the former No. 1 pick, playing 20 minutes in their 101-95 win over the Warriors.
Maxi Kleber played 28 minutes off the bench and even got into an altercation with Draymond Green. But despite missing two key players, the Lakers were still able to pull off their third straight win.
LeBron James led the way for the purple and gold squad, finishing with 20 points, seven rebounds and 10 assists. Rui Hachimura stepped up and dropped 18 points on 10 shots.
Austin Reaves had 16 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals off the bench, while Luke Kennard scored 10 points and knocked down two 3-point shots in his Lakers debut.
JJ Redick Shares Ayton’s Injury Status
Speaking to reporters after the Lakers’ huge win, coach JJ Redick was asked about Deandre Ayton’s knee injury. Redick confirmed that Ayton was dealing with knee soreness and updated his injury status for their next game against the defending NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Monday.
“He went out for his shooting stretch, and, you know, just didn’t feel completely comfortable with it,” Redick said. “I don’t think there’s any reason to believe it’s anything but day-to-day.”
Ayton is in his first year with the Lakers after signing a two-year deal in the offseason. He has had his ups and downs after a strong showing early in the season.
The big man is averaging 13.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 45 games this season. He’s shooting 67.6% from the field, which ranks second in the NBA behind Rudy Gobert of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Luka Doncic Injury Update
Deandre Ayton is not the most important player on the sidelines for the Lakers. Luka Doncic was diagnosed with a mild hamstring strain after exiting their win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Doncic has been listed as day-to-day, with JJ Redick telling the media that the Slovenian superstar wants to play against his former team, the Dallas Mavericks, on February 12. He also doesn’t want to miss the All-Star Game, which is under a new format.
“I’ve been around him as a teammate and as a coach, and I know he plays,” Redick said. “If he’s able to play, he plays. I think he wants to be in the All-Star Game. I know he wants to play against Dallas, the game before the All-Star Game. He has his team working on him day and night. So again, it’s day-to-day, and when he’s ready to play, we’ll get him out there.”
Doncic has missed a total of nine games this season so far. He’s still eligible for awards as long as he doesn’t suffer any setback in his recovery. He’s averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, 8.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Juan Paolo David Juan Paolo David is a sports journalist covering basketball for Heavy. He has a decade of experience writing about the NBA and WWE. He’s currently based in the Philippines. More about Juan Paolo David
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