'Get the big fella involved': Lakers' Deandre Ayton disappearing against Thunder - BERITAJA

One rebound sewage away. Another went to the Oklahoma City Thunder connected a foul by Deandre Ayton. When a 3rd opportunity glanced past Ayton’s nonchalantly extended arm, JJ Redick had seen enough.

The Lakers coach couldn’t moreover sub accelerated capable earlier Ayton’s two-handed vexation shove of Oklahoma City defender Ajay Mitchell put a disappointing punctuation people connected a disastrous 19-second agelong for the Lakers starting center.

Ayton, a cardinal portion of the Lakers’ first-round bid win, has been mostly absent successful the Western Conference semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. With the Lakers down 3-0 successful the best-of-seven bid aft Saturday’s 131-108 loss astatine Crypto.com Arena, Ayton has averaged 7.7 points per crippled and 9.3 rebounds against the Thunder.

Desperate to debar the dreaded 3-0 hole, Ayton was constricted to 10 points and six rebounds and conscionable 1 protect board. He was held to one-of-seven shooting in Game 2 for conscionable 3 points, though he had 22 rebounds complete the first 2 games.

After an up-and-down regular season, it appeared that the erstwhile No. 1 wide prime was fresh to unrecorded up to the hype. He was a quiet prima successful the Lakers’ first-round bid triumph against the Houston Rockets, often guarding All-Star Alperen Sengun one-on-one and dominating the paint. He averaged 11 points and 10.8 rebounds against the Rockets.

Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault took note. He called Ayton a “priority” for the Thunder defense successful this series. Redick said Ayton raises the Lakers’ ceiling much than immoderate different player.

The Lakers tried to spark their X-factor successful the 3rd quarter. They built a two-point halftime lead disconnected the stellar shot-making of Rui Hachimura (21 points) and Luke Kennard (18 points) but funneled the shot toward Ayton aft the break.

Lakers halfway Deandre Ayton dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder successful Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals Saturday astatine Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Hachimura, who made each 4 of his three-point attempts successful the first half, had a chance astatine a 3 connected the Lakers’ first possession but alternatively passed to Ayton, who was fouled connected the floor. Marcus Smart tried a lob to Ayton, but the halfway couldn’t corral the pass. The Lakers went backmost to him connected each of the adjacent 2 violative possessions and he scored connected both.

He scored six of his 10 points during a three-and-a-half-minute agelong of the 3rd quarter.

“DA is simply a hellhole of a player,” said Smart, 1 of Ayton’s closest teammates. “We each cognize it. We conscionable want to get him the touches and get him the consciousness early, conscionable to springiness them a different look. ... All the guards are doing their thing. So we’re conscionable trying to get the large fella involved.”

Ayton’s signature soft touch about the handbasket has abruptly escaped him. After shooting 60.4% from the section during the first information and a career-best 67.1% during the regular season, Ayton is shooting 39.3% (11 for 28) against the Thunder. He made conscionable 3 of 11 shots successful the restricted area during the first 2 games.

The Lakers needed Ayton to thrive during this bid against the double-big lineup of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Some of Ayton’s shooting struggles person depended connected wherever the lanky 7-foot-1 Holmgren has been connected the court, Redick said. The Lakers person tried to tie Holmgren retired of the overgarment much to free up Ayton.

Holmgren has still been a unit successful this bid pinch 21.3 points and 10 rebounds per game. Hartenstein has made 14 of 16 shots from the section successful the 3 games.

Ayton’s backup Jaxson Hayes was besides neutralized successful Saturday’s blowout, not returning to the crippled aft conscionable 8 minutes and 30 seconds of mostly ineffective play. When Redick had seen capable from Ayton successful the 4th fourth aft he gave up 2 violative rebounds and fouled doubly successful 19 seconds, the coach opted for rookie Adou Thiero.

Thiero, a 22-year-old who tries to dress up for his deficiency of acquisition pinch axenic centrifugal and athleticism, had a team-high 8 rebounds pinch 4 points successful 13 minutes and 12 seconds.

But the Lakers gave up an violative rebound disconnected a free propulsion instantly aft Thiero replaced Ayton. Hayes, sitting astatine the extremity of the chair pinch his arms folded crossed his chest, stared blankly up and shook his caput slowly.

No NBA squad has ever travel backmost from a 3-0 shortage successful a best-of-seven playoff series. Ayton has been quiet successful this series, but he doesn’t scheme to beryllium silenced overmuch longer pinch the play connected the line.

“We ain’t gonna springiness up,” Ayton said connected his measurement retired of the arena. “We will beryllium backmost to conflict connected Monday.”

Staff writer Broderick Turner contributed to this report.