The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

Deandre Ayton set another franchise record by becoming the fastest Phoenix Suns player to achieve 100 double doubles.

Ayton reached the historic mark in Wednesday night’s 105-98 win over the Dallas Mavericks with 19 points and 13 rebounds.

“I like it, that’s tough,” he said. “I got to get 100 more. Seeing [Chris Paul] break accolades every game. You realise, you keep working to get accolades under your belt as a team, but some of this stuff counts individually as well.

Ayton is also the fastest Suns player in franchise history to collect 1,000 rebounds for his career. The fourth-year centre did so in just 94 games.

Wednesday night marked Ayton’s second game back from a leg contusion which sidelined him for five games, and his first game back at Footprint Center. “Home game, the fans really brought the energy. I think we started off a little slow in the first half and we were trading a lot of buckets. On our end we were playing some solid defence but we weren’t really making our shots, we were getting great looks and we just weren’t knocking them down. It was one of those good games you just had to get,” Ayton said. “Knew the legs would get right, I just appreciate all the trainers that stuck with me and all the headaches I was giving them working out going through this thing and Monty just put me in the right position so I could perform the right way to help my team.”

The Suns rallied to win their 10th consecutive game to improve to 11-3.

Through five games, Ayton is averaging 15.6 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.

“I think we figured it out early in the season. We were kind of shaky in a way closing out games.,” Ayton said.

“I would say last year we were losing a lot of close games, easy ones, I think we learned from that as well. Just making sure we execute and learn.

[Paul] and [Devin Booker] are big on that.”

Suns head coach Monty Williams said Ayton has shown promising signs in his effort post recovery.

“Second game back, most guys struggle. He was pretty good the first game I thought he was solid [Wednesday],” Williams said. “He’s just a huge part of our programme on both ends of the floor and his ability to score around the basket is absolutely something we need.”

Williams said Ayton’s double double production is indicative of the impact the franchise expects him to continue to have. “That’s what he’s capable of. We saw it last year in splashes and then in the playoffs he was dominant,” he said.

“I think he’s got a level of conditioning that’s allowing him to play in these longer stretches so in the fourth quarter he’s not as tired as he was the first few games and I think that’s helping him a ton.”

Suns forward Jae Crowder said the addition of veteran centre JaVale McGee has also had an impact on Ayton’s development.

“He’s a specimen, he has a good body, and moves well for a guy his size, he just has all the tools that you need to dominate the game. What he brings to the table physically helps him dominate. He’s a guy we can depend on who’s going to control the paint for the majority of the game and he’s learning a lot from JaVale,” Crowder said.

“JaVale is a professional, a champion, an Olympian. He’s learning a lot from him on a daily basis and I think that relationship has really upped DA’s game mentally. Physically he has all the tools but mentally he has to read the game and JaVale has done a great job taking him under his wing and bringing that out of him. It’s been beneficial for his game moving forward and it’s paying off for him right now.”