The Los Angeles Lakers dropped their second game of the 2025-26 season to the Portland Trail Blazers, but big man Deandre Ayton isn’t letting the chatter from his former team get under his skin.

After the game, Ayton revealed that the Blazers tried to rattle him all night with trash talk, led by forward Deni Avdija, who made sure every made shot came with a few choice words. “They definitely was talking crap to me the whole time,” Ayton said postgame, cracking a grin. “Deni Avdija, every shot he made, he just kept rubbing it in.”

The Blazers’ verbal strategy seemed aimed at throwing Ayton off his rhythm, especially after his strong start to the season. But the Lakers’ big man took it in stride, laughing off the “antics” and insisting he wouldn’t take the bait.

Ayton finished with 16 points and eight rebounds, showing solid production despite the Blazers’ attempts to frustrate him. The Lakers, however, couldn’t overcome the scoring imbalance that has plagued them early in the season.

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Austin Reaves once again carried the offensive load, pouring in 41 points after a career-high 51 in Sunday’s 127-120 win over the Kings. Rui Hachimura added 16, and Jarred Vanderbilt chipped in 14, but Los Angeles struggled to find a consistent rhythm beyond Reaves.

The loss dropped the Lakers to 2-2 on the year, highlighting both their depth issues and their need for secondary scoring options while stars like LeBron James and Luka Doncic continue managing early-season workloads.

Still, Ayton’s composed response after the defeat signals growth from a player who’s often been criticized for his emotional inconsistency. “It’s all love,” Ayton said with a chuckle. “They can talk all they want; they are a tough team.”

The Lakers will indeed get another shot at Portland later in the season, and if Ayton’s comments are any indication, he’ll be ready for the rematch, both on the court and in the verbal exchanges.