Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (22) shoots while defending Tyrese Haliburton (0) of Sacramento Kings during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, April 15, 2021, in Phoenix. (AP Photo / Matt York)
PHOENIX – The Phoenix Suns are an excellent team. This is the foundation. This is right in front of you.
But if you look closely, you will see that extra layers and supporting pieces are added to the primer during the second half of the season. This is an important element for the lucky ones to be over the last two months and keep getting better before the games that really matter get underway.
The biggest addition the Suns could make was an improved Deandre Ayton, and that’s what they’ve got over the past few weeks, including in Thursday’s 122-114 victory over the Sacramento Kings, where Ayton was finally the difference.
Ayton had 10 of his 26 points and four of his 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter, and he didn’t even check in until there were 4:57 left. With Sacramento at that point with four points, Ayton passed on a pass from Devin Booker, an offensive setback two possessions later and on two free throws two more possessions later.
This put Phoenix ahead by eight with 2:36 left, and the Kings decided that the only other possible answer to Ayton would be small. The next trip to the Suns, Ayton, grabs another Suns miss to shoot free throws. With a seven-point lead and less than two minutes to go from there, Phoenix went to Ayton in the posts, and Ayton delivered a springboard that effectively ended the game.
“I was very happy that DA was the guy,” said head coach Monty Williams.
The Kings stayed in the game almost all night, thanks to an below-average night that was defensive for Phoenix and some good shots throughout. Sacramento’s defense was scary at some stages and the Suns shot 55.8% that night to counter the Kings’ 55.1% lead, with 14 making three points for each team. In a way, it felt like another game where the Suns played against their competition.
While Ayton did it offensively, he and the defense got the most important points to keep the Kings enough, while the big player ended the game on the other side.
“We just won,” Williams said. “We’re going to look at this at the end of the season – it will not say a nice win or an ugly win, it will just say ‘win’ and I’m glad we got it.”
Ayton was 10-out-11 from the field, and he watched the boxes to be active on the offensive glass and do his part defensively as the anchor. Booker added 23 points, while it was another strong night for the bench with 42 points overall. Jevon Carter brought the point there with 13 points, while a starting Chris Paul dished out 11 assistants to go with 13 points.
Sacramento’s De’Aaron Fox (27 points) and Buddy Hield (24) combined for 51 points.
Coming back about the evolution of a team in the regular season, this is what Paul had to say when asked, with the post-season in mind, what it means for Ayton to have moments like Thursday when he ‘the ou ‘was. :
“I think it’s great for all of us. “These games here only build confidence and build confidence,” said Paul. ‘It comes down to it in the play-off battle. Sometimes you go to a play or to a guy (s) they can make a shot or miss, but one thing is trust.
“It’s trust, and if you have such games from all the guys on our team, you’re just building trust now, and if you come in those moments, you live with what’s happening.”
Here’s what Ayton had to say when he was recently asked to build trust:
‘After the game I’m in the locker room, I just whispered [Paul] and gave him a slap – I was like, ‘Appreciate you trusting my G,’ ‘Ayton said. “Just trust me, because you know your teammate believes in you. (Said Paul) take your time. [Paul] taught me to just be ready.
‘As I start to drop lower, teams start adjusting and adjusting, and it’s starting to double, and he just wants me to take my time in such a long time and watch the game. Sometimes I just fight with the clock instead of trying to score every time. To learn only the aspects of the game, and what is important and what to look for in crunch time. ”
Imagine a Suns team in the post-season that, if necessary, could turn to Ayton. It’s a thought that will make Suns fans salute while possibly a surprising, disturbing development for the rest of the league.