Deandre Ayton praised the Lakers’ early energy and offensive rhythm after Los Angeles cruised past Washington 142-111 on Friday. “I’m really just trying to put energy into the ball, come out aggressive and, you know, just be physical from the start,” he said.
Ayton credited Luka Doncic’s first-half triple-double for helping set the tone. “Luka being Luka doing Luka things, triple double in the first half is insane. But, you know, him just getting us going and making sure we on top of our roles,” he explained.
The center emphasized how defensive attention on Doncic created opportunities. “In the way that how they were, you know, throwing hits at Luka, you know, sending two at him. It just took up that space that they, you know, that they gave us and, you know, just take what the defense give you,” Ayton said.
Ayton also addressed a notable alley-oop to LeBron James, joking about the pass. “I told JJ, I said, if it was not LeBron James at the end of that alley-oop, I would be right there sitting next to you. I threw it out of bounds… Yeah, it was one of those things you see on Bleacher Report where LeBron do spectacular things,” he said.
On defense, Ayton highlighted communication and effort. “No, it was really the defense, you know, just communicating, pumping each other up, you know, us getting stops and, you know, these loose balls of 50/50 balls… just to get us going and, you know, getting and one plays,” he explained.
He pointed to the balance between defense and offense as a key factor in the team’s flow. “I like how we’re playing together, you know, bringing that energy where we’re focused on the defensive end to bring, you know, our offense… We run down, rebound the ball, close out these possessions, and, you know, let Luka and Bron do their thing,” Ayton said.
Ayton finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds on 12-of-14 shooting, complementing Doncic’s 37 points, 13 assists, and 11 rebounds. LeBron James added 20 points, including a one-handed alley-oop in the first half, while Bronny James made his fourth-quarter debut with a breakaway dunk.
The Lakers improved to 29-18 and remain fifth in the Western Conference, while Washington fell to 12-35. Los Angeles will visit New York on Sunday, and Ayton’s focus on energy and defensive communication is expected to carry over.
