Deandre Ayton gave very brief, almost one-word answers and seemed confused about the concept of "momentum" during his postgame press conference after the Los Angeles Lakers' 120-106 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Starting center Deandre Ayton recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds on Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106 for their third straight victory.
However, Ayton kept things extremely brief during his postgame press conference. The big man – recently criticized by several media personalities for inconsistent play – responded to most questions with just a few words.
When reporters asked about the defense that helped the Lakers beat strong teams like the New York Knicks and Timberwolves, Ayton pointed to one simple factor.
"It's good communication," he said.
Asked what specifically stands out about the communication, Ayton replied:
"Just good terminology."
Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised Ayton's energy on both ends of the floor after the game. But when a reporter asked the center what he saw during the game, Ayton again kept it simple.
"I just played," he said.
Credit AP - Scanpix
Ayton also benefited from strong playmaking by teammates Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
"I mean, just hats off to them," the Bahamian center said. "They found areas where I was open and, you know, putting pressure on the rim. Teams gotta decide whether they want the corner three or the high-percentage basket."
Before the game, two Lakers big men – Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber – were ruled out. That left Ayton as the only true center available.
"Most definitely," he said when asked if he felt extra responsibility. "I'm the only big, I try my best to stay out there as long as possible, especially down the stretch."
The press conference ended in an unusual way. A reporter asked Ayton if the team was starting to feel momentum after consecutive wins over strong opponents.
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton
Deandre Ayton
MIN: 27.28
PTS: 12.46 (66.32%)
REB: 8.29
AS: 0.86
ST: 0.64
BL: 0.91
TO: 1.25
GM: 56
"Momentum? What you mean?" Ayton asked.
The reporter clarified: momentum from two big wins in a row.
Ayton stared for several seconds before responding:
"I don't know what you're talking about. I don't know... I don't know what you mean."
Luka Doncic and JJ Redick praise Ayton
Despite the quiet press conference, Ayton received praise from both Doncic and Redick after the game.
"It's very big of him," Luka said of Ayton's performance. "I think he was very locked in today. Like I said, I think he was huge for us today. So, we need to encourage him to keep doing it like that. When he plays like that, it helps us win."
Redick followed:
"I think it's great for his teammates to see him have a really good performance on both ends of the floor," the coach noted. "I think it's bigger for DA to have a game like that against a really good team, one of the best teams in basketball.
"He's won us and helped win us a ton of games this year. During this stretch, there's been some ups and downs, but he was great tonight. It's good for his confidence. And I think the trust side of it."
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