A Tough Challenge In Miami for the Lakers, Plus Deandre Ayton's Mental Shift

The Lakers arrived in Miami at about 4:30 am following Wednesday's critical win in Houston. To say the least, turning around and playing at 5 pm local time won't be easy. All three of the team's stars are listed as questionable, and nobody should be surprised if any combination of them don't play. 

(And if the NBA has an issue with it, blame the schedule maker.) 

Moreover, the Heat present a variety of challenges based on personnel and playing style that would be notable under normal circumstances, and heightened given the context. The flip side: Given how the Lakers bench has scuffled of late, would it be the worst thing in the world for some of these guys to have a high usage game and get the opportunity to find a groove? 

One guy who is back on the ball? Deandre Ayton, who as Dan Woike wrote about at The Athletic, seems to have been doing a lot of introspection of late, to his benefit and the team's. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

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