It s rare to be inspired to fight! Can the Lakers new inside players continue to maintain such a game attitude?

In the previous NBA regular season, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder once again defeated the Indiana Pacers at home 141-135 after a hard-fought double overtime. After this game, the Thunder won two consecutive games since the start of the new season, with a current record of 2 wins and 0 losses, while the Pacers suffered their first loss since the start of the new season, with a current record of 0 wins and 1 loss.

In this game, the performance of Lakers starting center DeAndre Ayton has improved significantly. Ayton played 30 minutes and 52 seconds, making 7 of 11 shots and 1 of 2 free throws. He scored 15 points, 8 rebounds and 1 block, including 3 offensive rebounds, 2 turnovers and 3 fouls, with a plus-minus of +9. Ayton finally showed his scoring ability on the offensive end. His scoring ability under the basket and mid-range shooting ability were fully utilized. In the third quarter of the game, he even scored 9 points in a single quarter, helping the team establish a considerable lead on the court. In addition, Ayton has also become tougher on the defensive end, and he can also play a very good role in interior defense and frame protection. At least in this game, Ayton did play a satisfactory performance, and he also made his contribution to the team's victory.

In the NBA regular season last season, Ayton was affected by injuries in 82 games, making a total of 40 appearances for his old club, the Portland Trail Blazers, averaging 30.1 minutes per game. The average data per game is 14.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals and 1 block, as well as 1.7 turnovers and 2.2 fouls. The shooting percentage is 56.6%, the three-point shooting percentage is 18.8%, and the free throw percentage is 66.7%. In the previous NBA preseason, Ayton played a total of 5 times for the Lakers, averaging 24.1 minutes per game. He averaged 8.8 points, 9 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1 steal, and 1.8 blocks per game. He also had 1.8 turnovers and 1.8 fouls. He shot 51.4% from the field and 66.7% from the free throw line. In the previous opener when the Lakers lost to the Golden State Warriors, Ayton made 5 of 7 shots and 0 of 2 free throws in 33 minutes and 53 seconds of playing time. He scored 10 points, 6 rebounds and 1 block. He also had 4 turnovers and 3 fouls, with a plus-minus of -4.

Ayton's performance in the preseason and the first game of the regular season was not ideal. Especially in the previous game against the Warriors, his performance on the defensive end was very disappointing, and he did not show the level that the inside gate should have at all. Considering that he often padded while playing for the Trail Blazers, everyone will also question Ayton's attitude towards the game. Of course, in this game, Ayton was indeed inspired to fight in the third quarter of the game and provided support to the team on both offense and defense. So next we can also see if Ayton can continue his attitude and state in this game. If he can continue such a strong performance, perhaps the Lakers' competitiveness will indeed be further improved.