Ayton did not because of the same ailment that kept him from playing in the second half of Friday’s road win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Deandre Ayton anotó 29 puntos, capturó diez rebotes y bloqueó tres tiros contra su antiguo equipo, liderando a los Lakers de Los Ángeles,

The Los Angeles Lakers are riding a three-game winning streak as they head to Portland for a tough rematch. But a key question hangs over the team ahead of tipoff.

With Rui Hachimura torching the Blazers inside and out, two-way player Nick Smith Jr. providing stunning scoring punch off the bench and old friend Deandre Ayton sticking it to his former team, the Lakers earned a gusty road win while playing the second game of a back-to-back.

According to the recent injury update, Deandre Ayton is expected to return for the Lakers' game against the Miami Heat on Sunday night.

Bam Adebayo led the way in Thursday’s loss as he ended the game with 31 points and 10 rebounds while Andrew Wiggins recorded 24 points and six rebounds. While both teams are looking for a key victory on Sunday night, both squads may be without multiple key players due to injuries.

Ayton (back) is available for Monday's game against Portland, Ryan Ward of LakersNation.com reports.

Lakers writer applauds Deandre Ayton for stellar play, silencing doubters in 2025-26 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

When the lights went on and the marquee stars were shelved, the real story for the Los Angeles Lakers quietly wrote itself. While Austin Reaves exploded for 51 points and carried the offense, it’s DeAndre Ayton’s unassuming presence in the paint and his sudden back-spasm absence that might become the unspoken barometer of this team’s playoff viability.

On Monday evening, the Portland Trail Blazers took care of business by beating a shorthanded Lakers team 122-108 in Los Angeles. The trio of Deni Avdija, Jrue