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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 12: Deandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half of play against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena on October 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
The Los Angeles Lakers had a decisive win on Friday night against the New Orleans Pelicans to improve to 2-0 in the NBA Cup standings. Five teams in each group will compete against each other with the top teams advancing to the tournament. One fascinating rule is that point difference matters to break ties and decide the division winners or general seeding.
Lakers center DeAndre Ayton appeared confused on the court when teammates were getting on him to score late while he passed on open shots, even though the game was already decided. The big man admitted that he forgot the rules and didn’t want to rub in the loss to an opposing coach he respects.
“I was a little confused,” Ayton said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Listen here, bro, just trying to get the dub and get up out of here. You see me, I didn’t want to shoot it because I’m like, that’s Willie Green. I didn’t really [want to rub it in]. Ain’t we just got to win the game? What does it matter with the points?”
Marcus Smart Yelled At DeAndre Ayton
The media informed Ayton of the point difference rule to have him explain why certain teammates were yelling at him to score the basketball. Veteran teammate Marcus Smart was among the names trying to build the lead against the Pelicans to help their chances at the NBA Cup positioning.
Teams are taking the Cup games more seriously for both the opportunity to send a statement to the rest of the league by winning it and the financial bonuses to come from potentially winning it all. Ayton started to understand why his teammates surprised him with their demands.
“Oh, so that’s why Marcus Smart was on my tail like that,” Ayton joked to reporters. “He said, ‘Score the ball, DA!’ I’m like, ‘Oh, my bad. All right. I done goofed up.’”
The Lakers still managed to win by 14 points to extend their lead and strengthen their chances of making the NBA Cup tournament. Los Angeles won the NBA Cup last season and clearly wants to repeat. Players on smaller deals, like Smart, treat these games with extra importance to add to their salaries.
Did DeAndre Ayton Hurt Their Lead?
The Lakers are in the weakest Western Conference group for the Western Conference in the NBA Cup. Only the Los Angeles Clippers pose a strong threat after getting off to a 2-0 streak, but they are without Kawhi Leonard. The Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, and Pelicans are all struggling to build any momentum right now as the rest of the group.
Ayton’s mistake didn’t cost them more than two points in the overall point difference. The Lakers have outscored their opponents by a total of 19 points to currently hold a tiebreaker over the Clippers. Their cross-town rival currently outscores their opponents in the Cup games by 8 points to have some ground to make up.
The mindset of Ayton to get the victory is the overall most important thing for the average regular season game and the NBA Cup Games. Lakers players beating all four lesser teams will land them in the NBA Cup tournament with a chance to win the entire thing.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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