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Deandre Ayton revealed that the Thunder's rowdy fans could make life difficult for the Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers did well to take down the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, but their work has only just gotten started. The level of difficulty is about to increase significantly, as the Lakers will take on the reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in their second-round series.
There are a lot of problems that the Thunder create for their opponents, and that’s going to be exacerbated for Los Angeles for as long as Luka Doncic is forced to remain on the sidelines. However, according to Deandre Ayton, it sounds like there’s another issue that OKC is going to cause him and his teammates that may not even be on the radar of their team’s fanbase.
“You can’t hear yourself. It’s definitely the ‘Thunder’ for a reason. Their fans are thunderous. You can hear the floor shaking, the bleachers, you can’t even hear a play call. And you got to be super dialed in” – Deandre Ayton on the road atmosphere in OKC
The Thunder have the sort of depth and star power that create problems for every one of their opponents, no matter who it is. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading the way, the Thunder have a bevy of skilled scorers on offense, while also possessing a defense that can throw multiple different looks your way.
As OKC has become a better team, its fanbase has also grown and become more impactful on the outcome of games that are played at Paycom Center. The environment at NBA games in the playoffs is always different, but Oklahoma City has become a place that teams do not want to play at in the postseason.
Ayton has never played against the Thunder in the playoffs, but he has seen what the environment at Paycom Center looks like during this time of year. While the crowd is something that professional basketball players eventually get used to over the course of their career, Ayton made it sound like Oklahoma City’s rowdy fanbase could present some serious issues for Los Angeles.
“You can’t hear yourself. It’s definitely the ‘Thunder’ for a reason. Their fans are thunderous,” Ayton said when speaking to reporters. “You can hear the floor shaking, the bleachers, you can’t even hear a play call. And you got to be super dialed in.”
GettyDeandre Ayton #5 of the Los Angeles Lakers
Chances are, the Thunder’s fanbase at Paycom Center wasn’t something that Lakers fans were worried about. But if it’s to the point where Ayton can’t hear play calls from head coach JJ Redick, it’s fair to say that will raise some red flags. In the playoffs, every little detail matters, so Los Angeles will have to make sure its communication is on point, especially when it is on the road.
L.A. likely has some bigger issues to worry about to begin this series, especially with Doncic still sidelined by his lingering hamstring injury. The Lakers are going to need to be nearly perfect in order to take down the Thunder, and for Ayton, that is going to involve finding a way to limit Chet Holmgren on both ends of the floor. Tip-off for Game 1 of this series is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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