Lakers' Jaxson Hayes: Middling numbers in spot start
Hayes posted four points (2-4 FG), six rebounds, one steal and one block across 18 minutes in Thursday's 114-106 win over the Trail Blazers.
With Anthony Davis (ankle) sitting out the front end of a back-to-back set, Hayes entered the starting five and made his first appearance since Nov. 26. The center had missed 13 straight games with a right ankle sprain/contusion, but he was available for both of the Lakers' two contests prior to Thursday. Though Hayes has been serving as Davis' primary backup when healthy this season, his standing in the rotation could vary from game to game now that he's healthy. The Lakers recently acquired Dorian Finney-Smith and could occasionally deploy him as a small-ball center in certain matchups when Davis is off the floor, and the eventual returns of Christian Wood (knee) and Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) from injuries are also likely to hurt Hayes' playing-time outlook.
