It’s the second consecutive game between the Lakers and Jazz since LeBron James was back in the lineup and LA’s injuries woes still continue. The second half saw an abrupt shift with Deandre Ayton’s sudden disappearing act. He went into the locker room and never emerged for the second half. At that time the Lakers were falling behind to the Jazz who they beat 140-126 on Tuesday at Bron’s return.

When there was no official injury report, the announcers suspected out loud that he hurt his knee. During the third quarter, the Lakers official injury report stated that Ayton had a right knee contusion. He was not ruled out yet. His status is questionable at the moment.

Jaxson Hayes started the second half in his place. Before the game ended, in the fourth quarter, the Lakers ruled out Ayton for the rest of the game. The Lakers were up 81-84 at that point.

The thing about Deandre Ayton is that an injury usually strikes during his slump. Before he left the floor, he had 2 points and 3 rebounds in 13 minutes of action.

LeBron, who by his admission is not pain-free yet, had double digits in less time than that.

In his absence, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, with a little sporadic help from Bron, led the charge. Doncic had 25 points, AR had 18, and Bron suddenly jumped to 15 points as of this writing. And Ayton, he’s getting on fans’ nerves.

Deandre Ayton’s not a fan favorite right now

The Lakers had emerged as strong contenders in the West when LeBron James was sidelined with sciatica. The reason being the offseason additions of Marcus Smart and Deandre Ayton to aid Luka Doncic. Ayton largely met the standards of a $16 million contract, even if Shaquille O’Neal didn’t think so.

Going into tonight’s game, he was averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game. But only when he’s consistent and relatively healthy.

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When he’s on a hot run, Deandre Ayton can rebound in double digits. He scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in one game earlier this season, but then shot poorly in the next.

In that particular game against the Grizzlies, he played through back spasms and had tweaked his back mid-game. He had only nine points and no rebounds then, and the team seemed to improve without him on the floor. The drama with Ja Morant overshadowed the fact that he was sidelined for another game.

But some fans weren’t missing him. Ayton’s inconsistency has earned more annoyance than sympathy for his injuries. Right now, the Lakers have a lead of 85-98 with almost five minutes left in the game. Lakers Nation is almost indifferent to his status.

For the second time this season, Ayton’s exit from the game turned the tide for the Lakers. After trailing behind Utah in the first half, the Lakers won 108-106.