The Lakers came into Sunday’s matchup against the Suns with something to prove. Still stinging from their NBA Cup loss to the Spurs, they weren’t just looking for a win-they were looking for a response.
And through three quarters, they were delivering exactly that. With a double-digit lead heading into the fourth, the energy was different.
The urgency was there. And one play, in particular, captured that mindset in full: Jaxson Hayes going airborne and throwing down one of the most emphatic dunks of the Lakers’ season.
Late in the third quarter, with the Lakers trying to pull away, Jake LaRavia jumped a passing lane and took off in transition. Hayes, trailing the play, timed his run perfectly.
LaRavia dished it back, and Hayes did the rest-rising up and hammering home a two-handed poster dunk right over Phoenix’s Oso Ighodaro. It wasn’t just a highlight; it was a momentum play.
Hayes absorbed the contact, drew the foul, and headed to the line as the Lakers bench erupted.
It’s the kind of moment that doesn’t just show up in the box score but speaks volumes about a team’s mentality. After some inconsistent defensive efforts earlier this season-an issue Hayes himself has acknowledged-the Lakers came into this one locked in on that end of the floor. By the late stages of the fourth quarter, they were holding the Suns under the 100-point mark, a testament to their improved intensity and communication.
Hayes, meanwhile, continues to carve out a meaningful role in this rotation. Serving as the primary backup to Deandre Ayton, he’s been a steady presence off the bench.
Coming into the night, he had played in 21 games, including two starts, averaging just over 16 minutes per contest. His season averages-5.2 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assist per game-might not leap off the stat sheet, but his efficiency tells a deeper story.
Hayes was shooting a scorching 72.6% from the field, a perfect 100% from beyond the arc (albeit on limited attempts), and 62.1% from the free-throw line.
Against Phoenix, he stepped it up. By late in the fourth, Hayes had already tallied 12 points, nine rebounds, and two assists-numbers that reflect both his activity and his impact. Whether it was crashing the glass, finishing strong at the rim, or rotating on defense, Hayes brought the kind of energy that can shift a game’s tempo.
For a Lakers team still trying to find its rhythm after the NBA Cup letdown, this performance was a step in the right direction. And while the stars will always draw the headlines, it’s plays like Hayes’ dunk-those gritty, hard-earned, momentum-swinging moments-that often tell the real story of a team’s trajectory.