Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton was ruled out for the remainder of Thursday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets due to knee soreness.
Ayton left the match early after playing just five minutes. He finished with two rebounds and no points before heading to the locker room.
The injury comes as the Lakers struggled to keep pace with Denver. Los Angeles trailed by double digits throughout the game, including a 10-point deficit at halftime.
Denver’s star duo of Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray led the charge and caused problems for the Lakers on both ends of the court.
Ayton’s departure put extra pressure on the Lakers’ front court. Maxi Kleber was already unavailable due to back pain, meaning Los Angeles lacked depth.
Ayton has recently suffered from knee pain and previously missed several matches due to the problem.
The Lakers now face the challenge of finishing the game without their starting center as they try to slow down Denver’s offense.
The Nuggets continued to increase their lead as Los Angeles looked for other players to step up in Ayton’s absence.
