Deandre Ayton Faces Former Team, But Lakers Struggle to Match Suns’ Energy
Deandre Ayton’s reunion with the Phoenix Suns didn’t go quite the way he or the Los Angeles Lakers had hoped. In a 125-108 loss, the Lakers looked out of sync from the opening tip, and Ayton, playing through a knee issue from the night before, couldn’t quite find his rhythm either. He finished with 12 points and nine rebounds - numbers that don’t tell the full story of a night where the Lakers were simply outplayed.
Ayton wasn’t alone in the struggle. The Lakers, as a unit, never found their footing against a Suns team that was missing key pieces - including Devin Booker, who exited mid-game - but still brought more energy and execution on both ends of the floor.
After the game, Ayton pointed to a few key factors behind the loss: fatigue, defensive miscommunication, and Dillon Brooks catching fire.
“I feel like there was a little bit of fatigue but not as much communication on the defensive end and it kind of got to us,” Ayton said. “We gotta just be better in transition.
Hats off to Dillon Brooks and how aggressive he played. We didn’t really have an answer for him and how he was posting up and getting high percentage looks during the game.”
Brooks, known for his physicality and edge, took full advantage of the Lakers’ lapses, carving up the defense with smart positioning and a hot hand. The Lakers, meanwhile, looked a step slow - especially in transition, where Phoenix did most of its damage.
Ayton acknowledged that while he never felt the game was out of reach, it was clear the Suns were the more aggressive team - and that made all the difference.
“I never really have that feeling, but they definitely gave us a glimpse of that they’re the more aggressive team and when calls started going their way, by the time we reached the third, it was really too late to try to change the game around with the momentum they had,” he said. “They were in our paint a lot too, they made some tough shots as well. I just felt like they were more together and they wanted it more.”
That last part - “they wanted it more” - cuts to the heart of the Lakers’ issue. This team has had nights where the energy just isn’t there, and this was one of them. The Suns, even without Booker for most of the game, leaned into their physical, high-effort brand of basketball and made the Lakers pay for every mistake.
For Los Angeles, the path forward is pretty clear: clean up the defensive communication, bring more consistency on both ends, and match the intensity of opponents from the jump. That’s especially true for Ayton, who’s been a critical piece in the Lakers’ success this season. He’s shown flashes of the two-way impact that made him a top pick, and while this game wasn’t his best, he’s earned praise from some of the league’s biggest names.
Both Luka Dončić and LeBron James have publicly recognized Ayton’s improved play in L.A., a nod to the work he’s put in since leaving Portland. It’s the kind of validation that matters - not just because of who it’s coming from, but because it signals that Ayton is earning respect around the league for how he’s competing.
The Lakers will need more of that from him - and from the rest of the roster - as they look to bounce back from a performance that fell well short of their potential.