The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DEANDRE Ayton was off his minutes restriction and had his most dominant performance of the three games he has been back on the floor since his return from an ankle injury.

Ayton finished with 20 points and 16 rebounds in the Phoenix Suns’ 95-80 win over the Washington Wizards at the Capital One Arena Saturday night in Washington, DC.

He played just 24 minutes, but not because of a precaution due to his previous injury, but because the Suns dominated wire-to-wire in the win.

Phoenix led by 25 before the midpoint of the second quarter, 27 at the half and 36 in the third quarter.

Ayton said it was imperative for him to return to form after he finished with just six points in last Thursday’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks which ended the Suns’ 11-game win streak.

“Didn’t sleep. Rewatched the game twice to see what I needed to do. Mainly it was my wind, but the best way I can get back in shape is by playing hard through these games, running on each possession, that’s the quickest way,” Ayton said. “The level of intensity and energy was great and we were really locked in from the get go.”

The Suns are now 42-10.

“It was finally having my feet up under me, I felt like I finally had my second bounce back. I definitely felt good out there,” Ayton said.

“We were locked in, especially in the second quarter, when we really started closing in on our defence,” Ayton said, “We were counting (our stops). It was fun out there.”

In his first game back, Ayton returned from his seven-game absence and finished with 12 points and six rebounds in 28 minutes of the Suns’ 121-111 win over the Brooklyn Nets last Tuesday. He followed with the six points and nine rebounds of 24 minutes against Atlanta.

The game against the Wizard was Ayton’s third consecutive where he played fewer than 30 minutes.

“At this point, we’re going to start playing him his normal minutes so he can get back into a groove,” Suns head coach Monty Williams said pregame.

Injuries and illnesses have kept Ayton in and out of the lineup for 21 games this season and the Suns have gone 18-3 in those games.

Ayton has missed six games in the NBA’s health and safety protocols for COVID-19, he also missed three games with a non- COVID related illness and five games with a right leg contusion. Ayton is averaging 16.4 points and 10.5 rebounds per game on 63 percent shooting from the field.

He has 17 double doubles in 31 games so far this season.