The Los Angeles Lakers walked into Salt Lake City on Sunday, November 23, aiming to close out their back-to-back against the Utah Jazz with another strong showing.
They left with a tough two-point win and a major boost in the Western Conference standings, but as the night unfolded, attention shifted toward one of their key starters, whose health quickly became a concern.
Deandre Ayton Suffers Knee Contusion
The Lakers edged out the Jazz 108–106, improving to 12–4 and sitting in a virtual tie with the Denver Nuggets for the No. 2 seed in the West. It was their fourth straight victory, coming just days after an uplifting 140–126 win over the same Jazz team. But the victory wasn’t without trouble.
Midway through the game, the Lakers announced that Deandre Ayton had suffered a right knee contusion and was questionable to return. By the end of the third quarter, the team confirmed he would not play any further.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin posted on X:
“Deandre Ayton will not return to tonight’s game because of his knee contusion, the Lakers say.”
Deandre Ayton will not return to tonight’s game because of his knee contusion, the Lakers say.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 24, 2025
In a separate update, he added that the Lakers opened the third quarter with Jaxson Hayes in Ayton’s place.
Ayton, who signed a two-year, $16.6 million deal with Los Angeles this offseason, had a quiet showing before exiting. In 13 minutes, he recorded just two points and three rebounds, which is a sharp drop from the production he’s delivered in recent weeks.
Ayton’s Recent Hot Stretch Makes Injury More Noticeable
Just one game earlier, Ayton posted 20 points and 14 rebounds against the Jazz, marking his third straight performance with at least 20 points and 10 boards. He has been one of the Lakers’ most efficient players through the first month of the season.
Across his first 15 games in purple and gold, Ayton is averaging 15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists, while shooting an impressive 69.6% from the field. The Lakers brought him in to solve their long-standing issues at center, and so far, he has delivered exactly what they hoped for.
His improvement has been crucial, especially as the team navigated injuries and lineup changes to start the year.
Even with Ayton sidelined, the Lakers found just enough offense to pull out the win. Luka Dončić led the way with 33 points, continuing his strong early-season run.
LeBron James, playing in just his second game of the season after recovering from sciatic nerve irritation, added 17 points and another night of steady energy.
With the victory, the Lakers now head home for a four-game stretch. That run includes two major Emirates NBA Cup group stage matchups — one against the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, November 25, and another against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday, November 28.
Whether Ayton will be available for those games remains uncertain, but his status will be closely watched as the Lakers look to maintain their early momentum.
