The Los Angeles Lakers are staring down elimination in their Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, and much of the blame falls on the shoulders of their starting center, Deandre Ayton. Despite being a key factor in the Lakers' first-round victory over the Houston Rockets, Ayton has gone missing against the Thunder, leaving fans and coaches alike calling for more involvement from the big man.

In Saturday's 131-108 loss at Crypto.com Arena—a game that put the Lakers in a daunting 3-0 series hole—Ayton managed just 10 points and six rebounds, with only one defensive board. His struggles were epitomized by a disastrous 19-second stretch in which he lost a rebound, committed a foul on a loose ball, and then shoved Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell in frustration. Coach JJ Redick couldn't even sub him out fast enough.

Through three games against Oklahoma City, Ayton is averaging a modest 7.7 points and 9.3 rebounds. He was held to just three points on 1-of-7 shooting in Game 2, though he did grab 22 boards across the first two contests. This is a far cry from the Ayton who thrived in the first round, averaging 11 points and 10.8 rebounds while locking down Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had even called Ayton a "priority" for his defense, and Redick has repeatedly noted that the center raises the Lakers' ceiling more than any other player.

The Lakers tried to spark their X-factor in the third quarter of Game 3. After building a two-point halftime lead behind Rui Hachimura (21 points) and Luke Kennard (18 points), they funneled the offense through Ayton. But the plan backfired: Hachimura passed up an open three to feed Ayton, who was fouled; Marcus Smart attempted a lob that Ayton couldn't handle; and subsequent looks failed to produce points. The message from the Lakers' faithful is clear: get the big fella involved, or this series will be over before they know it.