Jaxson Hayes was one of the Los Angeles Lakers’ stars with a good performance to his name, despite their disappointing outcome. They went down 120-113 to the Denver Nuggets at the Ball Arena on Thursday. Hayes came into the game in the absence of Deandre Ayton, who suffered a knee issue.
The Lakers’ center came off the bench to play a vital scoring role, but it wasn’t enough as the Nuggets snapped LA’s three-game winning streak.
Jaxson Hayes Seemingly Takes a Shot at Starting Center Deandre Ayton
Hayes seemingly appeared to take a shot at starting center Ayton when speaking to reporters after the loss. “It’s fun, I mean, I like the challenge. That’s the competitive nature of us players. If you don’t like the challenge, then why are you here?”
The statement may not have directly mentioned Ayton, but the big man has had adaptability issues since joining the squad. His role with the Purple and Gold was a question well before he decided to join the side, but a string of poor performances has seen him garner bad press.
Did Jaxson Hayes take a shot at Ayton postgame 👀
“It’s fun, I mean I like the challenge. That’s the competitive nature of us players. If you don’t like the challenge then why are you here?” pic.twitter.com/xMhhI7Zt5j
— LakersMuse (@LALMuse) March 6, 2026
Against the Nuggets, Ayton saw just five minutes of action after he was ruled out with a knee injury and had just two rebounds to his name. His absence saw Hayes in the fold, playing 27 minutes for a season-high 19 points. He also recorded five rebounds and two assists.
“That’s what they pay me to do. Stay ready,” Hayes added, when asked if he would be ready for a starting role should Ayton miss gametime. “Even if I wasn’t in the rotation, they pay me to stay ready. So I’m going to just do whatever the team needs me to do tomorrow.”
Hayes also had the head coach’s, JJ Redick’s, vote of confidence. Calling his performance terrific, Redick also believed in his reserve center’s abilities. “I think not having Maxi [Kleber] tonight actually really hurt us. Particularly with DA out. But Jaxson, you know, I definitely have confidence in him.”
While the Lakers will be pleased with his efforts, the larger picture is their defense, which has been bottom-tier since the start of the season. With the loss, they are 37-25 and clinging to sixth place in the West. With a tough series of games coming up, they will hope that both Ayton and Hayes will be ready for efforts on both ends of the floor.
The Lakers begin their five-game homestand against the Indiana Pacers on Friday, the second night of their back-to-back. They play the New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves after.
