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Deandre Ayton has had a mixed start to life with the Los Angeles Lakers, largely due to his new role with the team. Accustomed to being the focal point on offense, it’s no secret that Ayton has faced his struggles being the defensive lynchpin on an offensively stacked roster.

There was even a feud with Houston Rockets star Clint Capela, with Ayton claiming after a game that the Lakers were trying to make him play like the former Atlanta Hawks man. However, things have changed recently, with the 27-year-old recently telling The Athletic that he has taken a part out of his game.

“That’s a fact. That’s a true fact. But I, I scratched him, I took him out. I said… when it comes to scoring, we don’t need that. We need you to put that energy into offense and defense,” he said.

Lakers fans have been saying this since the beginning. However, it appears Ayton needed a ‘mirror session’ to get it on his game.

“I just started looking in the mirror and saying ‘Yo bro, … you’re not that guy. You don’t need to be on this team at all to do this. This team, you’re here to try and be the guy to shut down possessions, get rebounds, run the floor very hard, do big things, outwork superstars,'” he revealed.

And well, even though it came late, the No. 1 pick of the 2018 draft claimed he’s finally “having fun with it,” which also seems like the way to go. The Lakers are one of the most offensively talented teams in recent NBA history, featuring players like LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves as their Big-3, all three of whom have recently returned to form.

This means that Ayton’s job in the team is to shore up the defense and ensure that his team is not weak inside. This undoubtedly represents a huge difference in what a successful game could look like for Ayton.

“I’m telling you, once I sit that long, that’s usually what happens. It’s like… ‘You got kicked out (of the game) for some reason – think about it. But lately it’s been like, ‘No, DA. You’re good.'” he said.

Ayton said he has ‘completely bought in, 110%’, claiming that he was hoping fans would also be able to see the work he was doing. This coincides with the Lakers’ stellar performance recently, with Ayton finishing with a positive plus/minus in each of his last five games.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Snapping a 63-year-old streak with his 127 consecutive 20+ point performances in a 104-102 win against the Boston Celtics, Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander almost saw his streak end there. Midway through the fourth quarter, despite maintaining a 12-point lead, it was still behind by 10 points. Then, Gilgeous-Alexander went into closeout mode, helping them save their streak and lead a 116–103 win against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

After scoring five points on back-to-back possessions, including a contested 3-pointer from Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards, Gilgeous-Alexander drew a shooting foul on Edwards to complete a 3-point game to reach 20 points. During the Timberwolves’ ensuing timeout, Gilgeous-Alexander looked up and realized What was the standing ovation at the Paycom Center for?

Gilgeous-Alexander said, “I didn’t realize until they were yelling after the free throws. I was a little confused.” “Then I realized, ‘Oh, this, the 20-point streak.’ Hello friends tonight. He did a great job of taking what the game gave him and being prepared. I had 10 assists tonight, and they were ready to hit shots. So, hats off to those guys.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on when he realized he extended his 20+ point streak to 128: “I didn’t realize until they were yelling after the free throws. I was a little confused…

Then I realized, ‘Oh, this, the 20-point streak.” pic.twitter.com/pigozVokah

-Joshua Peacock (@Joe_Sway) 15 March 2026

Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20 points made him one of three Thunder players to finish with 20+ points in Sunday’s win, joining All-Star Chet Holmgren (21 points) and Isaiah Joe (20 points), who shot 8 of 14 from the floor, including four threes. Jared McCain added 15 points on 5 of 9 3-point attempts.

SGA extends 20+ point streak to 128 in Thunder win

Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extended his streak of consecutive 20+ point games to the most in NBA history by scoring 10 points in the final six minutes of Sunday’s 13-point win (116-103) against the Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander extended his 20+ point streak from the free-throw line on a 3-point play, drawing a shooting foul on Timberwolves All-Star Anthony Edwards.

After the win, Gilgeous-Alexander reflected on the final frame, reminding reporters that the Thunder would go beyond doing everything in their power to ensure a win to continue their historic 20+ point game streak.

“I didn’t care about anything other than winning the game, like always,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Tonight’s game was very sloppy, low-scoring, they’re obviously a good defense, we’re a good defense; so, it’s no surprise. To me, these types of things never matter. It’s always about getting out of here with a W.

“If I have a night like tonight, and we win for the rest of the season like we won tonight, I’ll be the happiest person on Earth. So, all that matters is winning.”

The Thunder will look to extend their winning streak when they begin their five-game road trip with Tuesday’s matchup against the Magic.