Deandre Ayton went 7-for-7 from the field and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112-108 on Sunday at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Ayton credited his approach to doing “what I have to do” while contributing to Los Angeles’ third straight victory.
Reflecting on LeBron James’ fourth-quarter performance, Ayton described it as “like a movie… it was a goat moment… the fans was loving it.” He emphasized simply enjoying James’ decisive baskets and the energy it brought to the team.
Ayton downplayed individual stats, saying, “Every shot you took tonight… efficiency matters. It don’t matter.” His comments highlighted the team-first mentality that fueled the Lakers’ 48% shooting and 34-24 third-quarter edge.
The center acknowledged rookie VJ Edgecombe, noting their connection from the Bahamas national team in Olympic qualifiers: “That’s my guy… he’s another Bahamian doing his thing… it was his turn to show… he’s going to represent the Bahamas the best way he can.” Ayton emphasized mentoring younger teammates while maintaining focus on winning.
Ayton’s dominant interior play helped contain Joel Embiid, who struggled to 4-for-21 from the field while finishing with 16 points. DeAndre’s performance, alongside timely scoring from Rui Hachimura and Luka Doncic’s 31-point triple-double, proved decisive in closing out the game.
On defense, Ayton kept comments brief, saying he just executes his role and does what’s necessary to help the team succeed. His 12 rebounds were crucial in offsetting Philadelphia’s 54-52 edge on the glass and limiting second-chance opportunities.
The Lakers improved to 17-6 overall and 8-3 on the road, while Philadelphia fell to 13-10. Los Angeles will host San Antonio on Wednesday in the NBA Cup quarterfinals, and the Sixers return home Friday to face Indiana.
