Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton admitted he was unaware of the point differential implications in the NBA Cup during Friday's victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Ayton passed on an easy basket in the final seconds, prioritizing sportsmanship over padding the margin. The Lakers sit atop West Group B with a +19 differential.
The Los Angeles Lakers continued their five-game road trip with a win against the New Orleans Pelicans on November 15, 2025, in their second group play game of the Emirates NBA Cup. The Pelicans entered with a 2-9 record, missing Zion Williamson and other key players due to injury, while the Lakers sought a rebound after a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Despite comeback attempts by New Orleans, the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter to secure the victory. In the closing moments, with the win assured, Ayton opted not to score an easy bucket, unaware that point differential serves as a tiebreaker for advancing in the NBA Cup. The Pelicans added four points in the final 30 seconds.
Postgame, Ayton apologized to teammates after learning the rules. "I was a little confused," Ayton said, via Khobi Price of the Southern California News Group. "I didn’t even know. I was like, ‘listen here, bro. I’m just trying to get the dub and get up out of here.’ I didn’t really want to shoot it because I’m like, that’s [Pelicans Coach] Willie Green. I didn’t really want to [rub it in]. Ain’t we just got to win the game. What does it matter about the points?"
Reflecting on teammate Marcus Smart's urging, Ayton quipped: "Oh, so that’s why Marcus Smart was on my tail like that. ‘Score the ball, DA!’ I was like, ‘Oh!’ I was like, ‘Oh, oh, my bad! All right!’" He added: "I done messed up. I done messed up. Oh, no wonder. I done messed up. Oh, that’s bad. Oh, that’s bad."
Ayton contributed 20 points and 16 rebounds on 10-for-11 shooting in 36 minutes. Head coach JJ Redick praised his impact, noting Ayton is showing he’s a winning basketball player. The Lakers lead West Group B with a +19 point differential and face the L.A. Clippers and Dallas Mavericks next, aiming to advance after last year's group-stage exit.