DeAndre Ayton Has Odd Message After Lakers Blowout Win Against Minnesota

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 120-106 on Tuesday night at Crypto.com Arena, picking up their third straight win and improving to 40-25 on the season.

It was a strong team win for the Lakers, who got a triple-double from Luka Doncic and a double-double from their starting center, but the most interesting moment of the night came after the final buzzer.

DeAndre Ayton's postgame press conference was one of the most awkward and confusing media sessions of the season, and it only lasted about two minutes before Ayton walked away from the podium.

The interview started normally enough, with a reporter asking Ayton about the team's defensive effort throughout the game and Ayton keeping it short with a simple two-word answer: "It's good communication."

When pressed on how that communication looked on the floor, Ayton responded with another head-scratcher, saying, "It was just good terminology."

Then things got really weird.

Daniel Starkand, the Managing Editor of Lakers Nation, asked Ayton about the team's current momentum after two big wins over the Knicks and the Timberwolves, and Ayton looked completely confused by the question.

"Momentum," Ayton said with a puzzled look. "What are you talking about?"

Starkand tried to explain, telling him he was referring to the momentum from two big wins in a row, and Ayton shut the whole thing down.

"I don't know what you're talking about, I don't know what you mean."

The bizarre press conference is one thing, but the performance on the floor told a completely different story because Ayton played one of his best games in a Lakers uniform on Tuesday night.

He finished with 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 12 rebounds in 34 minutes, giving the Lakers a much-needed presence in the paint with backup centers Jaxson Hayes and Maxi Kleber both ruled out with back injuries.

Ayton was the only healthy true big man available, and he embraced that responsibility.

"Most definitely, I know I'm the only big, so I try my best to stay out there as long as possible, especially down the stretch," Ayton said.

He also gave credit to Luka Doncic, who finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his sixth triple-double of the season, and Austin Reaves, who poured in 29 second-half points after a rough start to the game.

"I mean, just hats off to them," Ayton said. "They found the areas where I was open and put pressure on the rim."

It has been anything but a smooth ride for Ayton in his first year with the Lakers, as he is averaging 13.0 points and 8.4 rebounds on the season while shooting 66.5 percent from the field across 50 games.

He started the year strong, but his production dropped off and his frustrations boiled over a couple of weeks ago when he was heard saying, "They're trying to make me Clint Capela. I'm not no Clint Capela!" after a loss to the Orlando Magic.

There was also the situation in the Bahamas during the All-Star break when Ayton was briefly detained at an airport on suspicion of marijuana possession before being cleared, plus the ongoing tension with the coaching staff over his minutes and role.

Head coach JJ Redick has not been afraid to close games with Jaxson Hayes over Ayton when the effort has not been there, and fans have noticed the Lakers perform better with Hayes on the floor by the numbers.

The win over the Timberwolves was a step in the right direction for Ayton and the Lakers, who now sit at 40-25 and fifth in the Western Conference heading into Thursday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls.

Whether Ayton truly does not know what momentum means or was just messing with the media remains a mystery, but the good news for the Lakers is that his play on the court spoke louder than his words at the podium.

If the Lakers are going to make a deep playoff run, they need this version of Ayton, the one who attacks the glass, finishes at the rim and plays with energy on both ends, even if he has no idea what to call it.