The Lakers ended a four-game losing streak by beating the SUNS 107-96 at home. Hayes returned to start at centre, scoring 19 points, six rebounds and three assists on 8-of-10 shooting. Hayes’ threat in the middle made it easier for Duncic, who finished with 33 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists. After the game, Doncic and Hayes went into mutually flattering mode.
“He’s the best point guard in the league,” Hayes said of his chemistry with Doncic. “I think whenever I’m open, he finds me. It’s my job to try to make space for him as well. It’s like a mutual relationship.”
Doncic also expressed delight at Hayes’ return: “You can see how much it affects me, it helps me a lot, but he helps the whole team. We miss him.”
Doncic is a typical ball-holding core, he needs the team centre to form a threat in the middle, and Hayes, although only a base salary player, his length, arms, and athletic ability are very suitable to partner with Doncic.
Redick also praised Doncic’s role in Hayes’ development: “It’s great for him to play with Luka [Doncic].”
Hayes has grown since Doncic joined. “I think most of his growth this year has been in terms of cognitive load,” Redick said. “It’s little things like that that have helped his numbers improve.”
In 12 games since Doncic’s debut, Hayes HAS gone 10-2, averaging 9.3 points and shooting 78.7 per cent from the field. When Hayes received Doncic’s pass, he made 82.4 per cent of his attempts.
