Thanks to the Trail Blazers for the gift! Ayton went 10-for-11 and turned into a perfect match for Doncic.

Played 36 minutes, made 10 of 11 shots, contributed 20 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Ayton turned in another beautiful answer, helping the Lakers defeat the Pelicans 118-104 on the road. The team's record came to 9 wins and 4 losses. The Lakers signed Ayton to a two-year, $16.6 million contract during the offseason, which was a great value. The Lakers need to thank the Trail Blazers for the gift. If they hadn't suddenly bought out Ayton's contract, it would have been difficult for the Purple and Gold to fill the hole in the center position.

Ayton has reaffirmed his value this season. Perhaps he is still far from what people originally expected of him, but now he is a very competent starting center. Ayton was the No. 1 pick in 2018. When he first debuted, he was known as a combination of David Robinson and Duncan, with outstanding physical talent. Unfortunately, his playing style was not tough enough, and the Suns gradually became disillusioned with him and traded him to the Trail Blazers. In the summer of 2025, the Trail Blazers bought out Ayton's contract. The Lakers took the opportunity to sign the No. 1 pick and gave him a starting position.

The 27-year-old Ayton is still very young and in the prime age of basketball players. When he came to the Lakers, he had Doncic and Reeves feeding him the ball, and he achieved super high offensive efficiency. Before this game, Ayton's field goal percentage of 67.2% set a career high.

Ayton continued his efficient performance in this battle, scoring 6 points in the first quarter. Doncic and Reaves each gave him an assist. In the second quarter, Ayton scored 8 points. The cooperation between him and Doncic has become more and more tacit. With 6 minutes and 43 seconds left in the second quarter, Doncic controlled the ball and attacked. Ayton first pulled to the outside for a pick-and-roll, and then passed down. Doncic flicked the ball, and Ayton received the ball very comfortably and scored a layup. The cooperation between the two is like flowing water.

In the opening game of this season, the cooperation between Ayton and Doncic was obviously very unfamiliar. But now, the two have developed a good chemistry. At the last moment of the second quarter, Doncic once again sent a wonderful pass, and Doncic scored with an alley-oop dunk. Ayton scored 6 points in the third quarter, one of which was a dunk after receiving a feed from Doncic under the basket. In this game, Doncic contributed 24 points, 7 rebounds and 12 assists, including 4 assists for Ayton.

The tacit understanding between Doncic and Ayton has improved visibly. Doncic is indeed very good at cooperating with big centers. When he played for the Mavericks, Lively and Gafford were well fed and often performed efficiently. Since Doncic left the Mavericks, Lively and Gafford seem to have lost their luck and are either recovering from injuries or in mediocre form.

Ayton has a mid-range shot. Now with Doncic and Reeves feeding the ball, his ability to eat cakes under the basket is improving. Coupled with his good rebounding ability, he is already a very competent starting center in the league.

The Lakers currently have a record of 9 wins and 4 losses. They really need to thank the Trail Blazers for the gift. James has gone to the Development League for training and is expected to return when the Lakers finish their road trip. The complete Lakers are worth looking forward to.