FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

LOS ANGELES — Of all the things that went right for the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in their second-straight “best win of the season” performance, what happened when everything was going wrong stood out most.

Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves fired miss after miss, their field-goal percentage hovered around the American voting age, and the Lakers’ offensive rhythm was totally stalled by the Minnesota Timberwolves’ length, physicality and tenacity.

Through all of that, Deandre Ayton was steady.

It’s not the word that’s been connected all that often to the Lakers’ starting center this year. And Tuesday felt like a moment.

After having a strong game Sunday in a win against the New York Knicks, Ayton was the best Laker early Tuesday, as both teams desperately scrapped for points in the first quarter. He attacked rebounds. He hounded the basket. He slammed the ball with force and defended with purpose.

Here was “the lion” the Lakers thought they had earlier this season. Here was the center they didn’t have last season. Here was a real reason to believe that the last two L.A. wins weren’t fluky but more a culmination of a team truly figuring itself out.

With a 120-106 win, the Lakers (40-25) swept the season series against the Timberwolves because they trusted one another to be there when they needed them — in rotations, in shifts and, most importantly, in spirit.

They didn’t necessarily beat Minnesota because of Ayton’s 14 points and 12 rebounds. But there was no way they would’ve won so convincingly without him. Much like the Lakers’ win Sunday against the New York Knicks, this was an entire roster pulling in the same direction with the same intensity and toughness.

They’ve now won six of their last seven games, the two losses before that coming in the final seconds of the fourth quarter. Their defensive effort and intensity across the board have shifted. The vibes and the belief in the roster are growing.

“I think accountability is being held — not more so from coach to player, just person to person,” Reaves told The Athletic. “I’m not saying I’m running around holding people accountable, but if you say something to somebody, it’s not, ‘Throw your hands up in the air.’ It’s not like, ‘Poor pitiful me.’

“It’s, ‘OK, yeah, I’ll do it.’”

On Sunday, Marcus Smart went 1-for-10 from the floor, but it didn’t matter one bit because of the hell he put the Knicks through on the perimeter. He was a plus-27 in that game, despite scoring only five points. On Tuesday, Jake LaRavia missed layups and still soundly affected winning with his hustle and grit, despite his 1-of-7 shooting.

It didn’t matter that Tuesday had to be an incredibly uncomfortable day for Luka Dončić, after his off-court family issues became news. He made just one of his first eight shots, but he stayed composed. His self-control would eventually be rewarded, as Dončić finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. The Lakers were 20 points better than Minnesota in his minutes.

It also didn’t matter that Reaves got off to another slow start against a physical defense, something his critics have grabbed hold of as he’s gotten closer to his offseason payday. He made just 1 of 8 in the first half but put the Timberwolves away with 29 second-half points.

Smart again did his part, stepping in to take on Anthony Edwards at full speed to begin the second half with a drawn charge. Rui Hachimura didn’t stop trying to defend Julius Randle, even after he got called the first of his five fouls by having his chin get in the way of a quick elbow.

“Everybody that stepped on the court did an amazing job,” Dončić said. “Everybody fought until the end.”

Even LeBron James, who missed his third consecutive game with foot and hip soreness, the latter happening late in the Lakers’ tight loss in Denver last week, bounded off the bench in his street clothes to meet Luke Kennard after a tough transition bucket with joy all over his face. He undoubtedly was aware of the discussion about his impact on winning after the Lakers beat the Knicks without him. And he didn’t seem even a little bothered that the Lakers were doing it again against Minnesota.

“That’s real,” Reaves said of that reaction.

Pregame, head coach JJ Redick talked about the Lakers’ balance issues that tend to show up more when they play with a “big three” instead of just two.

“When all three of those guys are on the court specifically, I think it goes back to the human element,” Redick said. “It’s what they’re comfortable doing as basketball players, which for all three of those guys … it’s having the ball in his hands. The human struggle to want what you want … while also having the emotional maturity and recognition that you have somebody next to you, it hasn’t been as clean. There’s a clear pecking order when LeBron, or when Luka and AR, are on the floor together with guys that are low-usage players. That’s the nature of it. That’s the nature of nearly every big three that’s ever existed.”

Redick, however, said he’s seen enough lately to leave his belief fortified.

“We’re going to get there,” he said. “We’ve seen some positive signs, and I know LeBron, he recognizes the importance of having Luka as the engine. All he really wants is to impact winning. I’ve said this now for the last two weeks: We’re going to get there.”

On Tuesday, the Lakers had to feel better about Ayton’s part in getting them there. There have been games when he’s been great, games when he’s been bad, games when he’s been invisible. But against Minnesota, the Lakers needed Ayton. They didn’t have anywhere else to turn.

Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber, two players not listed on the Lakers’ injury report Monday, were surprisingly scratched with back injuries. That left only two-way Drew Timme as another available big against a Minnesota team that knocked the Lakers and their small-ball lineups out of the playoffs a year ago.

“It’s great for his teammates to see him have a really good performance on both ends of the floor. I think it’s bigger for DA to have a game like that against a really good team, one of the best teams in basketball,” Redick said. “He’s won us and helped win us a ton of games this year. During this stretch, there’s been some ups and downs, but he was great (Tuesday). It’s good for his confidence.”

Playoff series aren’t won in mid-March, and Redick’s message to not overreact after Sunday’s win against the Knicks held true after another dominant 48 minutes on Tuesday. Reaves said the Lakers will undoubtedly have games left on their schedule when it looks like it’s falling apart.

“Are we going to continue to trust the way we’re doing it now will still work?” Reaves asked.

That’s next. First, the Lakers had to be sure they were heading in the right direction.

Then let’s stop it with trade talks.

Bout the same.

LAKERS IN CONTROL OF THEIR DESTINYHAVE CLEAR ROAD TO #3 SEED IN WEST!There were 4 teams ahead of us when we were #6 seed: Rockets, Timberwolves, and Nuggets.We are now #4 and have put the Timberwolves in our rear view mirror. We'll soon have opportunities to do the same… https://t.co/5GhLsiQnfk— LakerTom (@LakerTom) March 11, 2026