Ayton ejected – Deandre Ayton was ejected in Game 4 after a flagrant 2 on Alperen Şengun, just as LeBron struggled. With Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves still out, the Lakers face a tougher path—though Houston’s comeback chances look slim.
The Lakers are heading into Game 4 with a fresh problem after Deandre Ayton was ejected for a flagrant 2 foul involving Rockets center Alperen Şengun.
Ayton’s dismissal came in the third quarter, when the play escalated after his forearm hit Şengun in the face.. At the time of the ejection. Ayton was in the middle of what had been his strongest stretch of the series so far—19 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting—making the timing especially punishing for Los Angeles.
The bigger issue for the Lakers is that Ayton wasn’t simply “one of many” performers; he was one of the few giving them reliable offensive and rebounding production at that moment.. Meanwhile, LeBron James struggled to generate the kind of impact that carried the Lakers in Games 1 through 3.. With Ayton sent to the sideline early. the Lakers lost both a key piece of their rotation and momentum during a critical window of the game.
There’s also no easy background relief for Los Angeles.. The Lakers are already operating short-handed, with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves missing the entire series thus far.. Dončić’s absence continues to define the team’s ceiling—especially in a postseason matchup where shot creation and tempo control usually decide close stretches.. Coach JJ Redick provided an update before Game 4, describing Dončić as progressing but still without a concrete timeline.
That kind of uncertainty has a ripple effect on how a team prepares.. Even when a player is close enough to “move a little. ” teams must still plan as if he won’t be available.. For the Lakers. that means more responsibility landing on the remaining ball-handlers. more strain on the bench to keep possessions from turning into defensive scrambles. and a sharper focus on avoiding foul trouble that can snowball when the roster is already thin.
Game flow matters more than ever in this round, and for the Rockets, the postseason script is now about opportunity.. Houston has an opening to push pace. attack mismatches. and test whether Los Angeles can maintain defensive discipline without Ayton anchoring the middle with his typical rebounding presence.. Şengun. the player at the center of the incident. represents the type of matchup problem the Rockets will continue to insist on—because forcing the Lakers into foul-heavy situations can swing games in the margins.
Still, the matchup math tilts against a full Rockets comeback.. Los Angeles entered Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead. and the idea of Houston overturning that gap becomes less realistic as each game passes—particularly with additional uncertainty around the Rockets’ rotation.. If Kevin Durant is indeed headed toward missing more time. Houston’s offensive margin shrinks quickly. making every defensive stop and transition chance even more valuable.
The Ayton ejection could become the storyline that gets remembered. but the practical question is what it changes for Los Angeles immediately after it happened.. Losing a starter for a playoff game doesn’t just affect minutes; it affects spacing. matchups. and the way the Lakers can respond when the Rockets adjust.. In a series where the Lakers have already looked ahead a few steps. Game 4 is the first true reminder that even a 3-0 lead can be tested by one costly sequence—especially one involving a key contributor in the middle of his best production.
For the Lakers. the priority now is simple: keep the game under control. protect the paint without giving up free points at the perimeter. and build a clean plan for the minutes Ayton would normally cover.. If they do that, the Rockets’ path narrows again.. If they don’t. Game 4 won’t just be about an ejection—it will become the moment Houston tries to turn a one-sided series into something closer to a race.