The Los Angeles Lakers will put their undefeated NBA Cup game record on the line as they face off against the LA Clippers on Tuesday. The Lakers hold a 2-0 record in cup games so far, and the Clippers have a 2-0 record as well. But the Lakers are going to be a little bit short-handed as Deandre Ayton popped up on the team’s injury report ahead of the game.
Deandre Ayton was officially ruled out for the Lakers’ game against the Clippers as he’s dealing with a knee injury. Ayton first suffered the knee injury during the Lakers’ 108-106 win against the Utah Jazz on Sunday. The injury occurred during the first quarter, and Ayton was ultimately ruled out for the remainder of the game after halftime.
Ayton signed with the Lakers in the offseason after agreeing to a contract buyout with the Portland Trail Blazers. He’s been the team’s staring center so far, suiting up in 15 games at a little over 29 minutes per game. He’s been averaging 15.5 points and 8.4 rebounds with splits of 69.6 percent shooting from the field and 56.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
With Ayton out of the lineup, that likely means Jaxson Hayes will be the starting center against the Clippers, with Maxi Kleber taking the backup role. Kleber filled in, in the second half against the Jazz after Ayton was ruled out. Kleber was solid in his first extended minutes of the season, finishing with two points and three rebounds in 14 minutes, and also came up with the defensive stop that secured the win.
