With LeBron James already out due to sickness, the Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a severe setback when Anthony Davis suffered an eye injury in the first quarter of Sunday night’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Jaxson Hayes, however, deserves credit for stepping up in Davis’ absence.
Hayes finished the game with a season-high 19 points, 10 rebounds, and five steals, but it wasn’t enough as the Lakers lost to the Timberwolves by ten points. Hayes credited D’Angelo Russell with setting him up for easy buckets, which fueled his offensive outburst.
“They were just in a drop,” Hayes said of the Minnesota defense. “And I was I made sure I set my screens and got hits on them so DLo could come off a little open, which caused the bigs to step up on the bulk of those shots, and when Rudy stepped up, I had a free lane at the rim. So they basically made me seem good.”
Russell struggled to shoot, but he was unquestionably a playmaker, ending with 11 assists and only one turnover. Filling in for a player of Davis’ quality is a difficult chore, especially given everything he provides for the Lakers. Hayes, on the other hand, is more concerned with remaining on the court than with any particular offensive or defensive strategy.
“The biggest thing for me is just staying out of trouble.
