"It wasn't an accident that the Lakers' first play went to Deandre Ayton. Or that the star big man got the first shot of the third. Or that teammates fed him for back-to-back dunks to help spark a run of five consecutive scoring possessions early in the second half. After Ayton finished last Friday's win on the bench, the 7-foot center bounced back with 15 points and eight rebounds against the Grizzlies on Sunday as the Lakers made a point to involve the big man early."
"Ayton responded by converting six of his eight shots Sunday and helping the team lock down on defense in the fourth. The Lakers clawed back from an 11-point deficit late in the third and held the Grizzlies (15-19) to just 16 points in the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. Ayton had two blocks in the fourth quarter."
The Lakers ran deliberate plays to involve Deandre Ayton early, giving him the first play and the first shot of the third quarter. Ayton scored 15 points and grabbed eight rebounds after a prior four-point game and benching. Coach JJ Redick noted moments when teammates could have found Ayton more and also urged Ayton to be more active and assertive. Ayton converted six of eight shots and recorded two fourth-quarter blocks while helping the team limit the Grizzlies to 16 points in the first 10 minutes of the fourth. The Lakers finished with 30 assists on 38 made shots.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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