Ayton’s breakthrough Game 4 spoiled by ejection

HOUSTON — The Los Angeles Lakers were bracing for a sweep Sunday night in Houston.

After an emotional Game 3 overtime victory that defied the laws of win probability, the Lakers needed 48 more minutes to eliminate the Houston Rockets and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2023.

The mission was not accomplished in a 115-96 Game 4 defeat, but the Lakers finally unlocked the version of Deandre Ayton they awaited all series. With the offense struggling to the tune of 24 turnovers and a 5-of-22 showing from three, Ayton kept his team afloat through two-and-a-half quarters with one of his best showings donning purple and gold.

The former No. 1 overall pick combined for a mere eight points in his prior two outings. But on Sunday night, he contributed a team-high 19 points — six more than the next closest Laker — on an efficient 9-of-12 shooting, regularly getting favorable position in the post to drain high-percentage hook shots.

“It’s been tough for DA,” Lakers point guard Marcus Smart said. “We’ve been hard on him. He’s been hard on himself. [The media] has been hard on him. It’s all good though. He’s been taking it and embracing it and trying to get better and better. Today he showed that. He came out, we relied on him a bit more, he made plays for us.”

However, Ayton’s stellar night came to an abrupt halt with 5:41 remaining in the third quarter when his left elbow collided with the face of Rockets center Alperen Sengun. After a lengthy review, Ayton was assessed a flagrant 2 — warranting an ejection from the contest.

“I was really just trying to brace the contact with Sengun,” Ayton said. “We’re both sweaty guys. I just slipped off his shoulder, and literally, my elbow hit him right above his shoulder. It looked crazy on camera, but I’m not a guy who is a dirty player or plays like that. If anything with me trying to play dirty, I’d be hurting myself. I just hope he’s alright and he doesn’t think it was intentional.”

Ayton’s teammates vehemently disagreed with the decision to eject their starting center, believing the contact was incidental and did not meet the criteria for a flagrant 2.

“We all understood it was some BS,” Smart said. “That’s what we felt. He was just trying to brace himself. Two guys who were sweating their butts off playing the game, his arm slips up. But we’re proud of the way he handled it, and I think that just speaks volumes about who he is and his progression. He’s learning. He could have easily — and it probably would have been justified — if he went off. But he kept his composure and stayed positive. That’s only going to help him and this team.”

Combining regular season and playoffs, Game 4 was Ayton’s 519th game of his NBA career. It also marked his first career ejection. Rockets head coach Ime Udoka was also surprised by the officials’ decision to remove Ayton from the game, implying the grounds for an ejection have become too strict in recent years.

“It looked intentional, but I was surprised it was a flagrant 2,” Udoka said. “That’s the NBA nowadays. They call it a little softer than they used to.”

Ayton’s teammates complimented his poise through the frustrating moment in the Lakers’ 19-point road defeat. But the center looks to channel that frustration into positive energy, as Los Angeles retakes the hardwood Wednesday night at home for a potential closeout Game 5. 

“We’re pretty angry,” Ayton said. “I’m pretty angry. Honestly I wish we could play tomorrow. I have a lot of energy now. We’re gonna go back, watch the film, and turn up our level of intensity a little bit higher as well. And we’ll have our fans out there cheering for us.”