Suns Defense Deandre Ayton after Game 3 Benching
NBA Analytics NetworkDeandre Ayton finished with an NBA playoff career-lowest four points in the Phoenix Suns’ G…
Deandre Ayton finished with an NBA playoff career-lowest four points in the Phoenix Suns’ Game 3 victory over the Denver Nuggets. Along the way, he was benched in clutch time amid a consistently criticized playoff run for him. The Suns are now 2–1 down in the series.
“Look, it’s hard for me to sit back and just be okay with all the slander thrown at the District Attorney,” Landale said. “People act like he’s a selfish person who plays terrible all the time, but it’s Deandre Ayton. DA has played 30 (points) and 20 (rebounds) games off and on for a month this season,” said Landale, adding that he is tired of the criticism he hears of Ayton.
In Friday’s 121–114 win over the Nuggets, Suns coach Monty Williams put Ayton in 4:57 for the final in place of Ayton, Landale closing out the game.
“(Ayton) was in the game anyway,” said Suns superstar Kevin Durant. “He was on the same wavelength with us, cheering us on and cheering us on when he was on the bench.
“I think DA just wants to be there, he wants to contribute and he wants to play well every night. He wants to do everything right,” explains Durant. “Sometimes it can be a bit frustrating if you don’t get the chance to show what you can do, but that’s the nature of a team. The next guy has to come forward and everyone just has to support. I’m looking forward to an important game from him next game.”
Landale was most vocal about Ayton’s role on Saturday, saying he has been “great for us” since Game 3 and after Saturday’s practice.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
In a timeout after Jokic’s 3-point play drew Denver within five points, 109–104, with 3:04 left, Ayton Landale advised how to defend Nikola Jokic after shooting 2-of-6 from the field. Landale’s action against Jokic was fouled.
“He told me the tendencies,” Landale said of Ayton. “DA has a lot of experience in monitoring Jok. He’s done a really good job and he just told me this is what he’s trying to learn, so know that. That’s the first time I’ve really found a match with Jok in my entire career. He let me know where he wants to go.”
“At the moment you usually know those things, but it’s good to have reinforcements at the time,” Landale continued. “It’s a bit of guesswork because (Jokic) can do it all. It was really about hitting on him his tendencies and what I was trying to take away.
“If he had done that for me, he could very easily have been angry and complained that I am out of the game with seven minutes to go, who said anything about that,” concludes Landale. “Who said anything about DA coming to me and you know what I’m going to get myself out of my own situation and really reinforce what Jok’s tendencies are and encourage me a lot more because we’re in a men’s class and a lot of times encouragement is left out of this thing.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
Landale made it clear that Ayton’s presence is a great personality and leader for the team, despite what outside noises suggest.
“If you watch when me and (Bismack Biyombo) are in the game and we’re doing something right, DA is the first guy off that couch to get up and clap, and that speaks volumes about his character, but people seem to completely forget about it that,” Landale said. “That’s something DA has insisted on all year and he’s continued to do that for other players around him, especially myself and Biz. It encourages us that sometimes he doesn’t have the best night and he shouldn’t have a great night.”
In Game 3, Ayton grabbed nine rebounds, but committed four fouls, missed a layup or dunk, and turned the ball over with 5:59 left, leading to a Nikola Jokic bucket. The MVP runner-up finished with 30 points, 17 rebounds and 17 assists in 42 minutes.
Landale returned to the game just over a minute later for Ayton. Despite only scoring six points, Landale made all three of his field goal attempts, grabbed nine rebounds and made the necessary rush to help the Suns win.
“Jock gave us a lot of energy,” said Williams after Game 3. “I thought his pressure on the rim just in transition opened up a lot of lanes for all of our guys to attack the paint tonight in transition and when he just scrapped You couldn’t point to anything he did from a high-level skill perspective, but he just scrapped, and even when he (Jamal) guarded Murray or guarded the smalls, he just went along.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
It certainly drew attention that Williams chose Landale over Ayton, but in the end it helped the Suns.
“Guys have tough games,” Williams said after Game 3. “DA didn’t have his best tonight, but it’s great to have your brother there to pick it up for you.”
There has been criticism that Ayton consistently plays without much energy. Landale also came to the rescue of his teammate in that respect.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
“DA has an incredible engine,” Landale barked back to the question. “Sometimes he gets a little frustrated with the way the game is going and he gets more power. He may be influenced by that sometimes, but we’re trying to get him to prove why he has that max contract and why he’s the number 1 in the draft is.’
“He has all the talent in the world to really get out there and do what he wants to do,” Landale continued. “I understand a little bit about it but at the same time it’s a tough transition for him sometimes when he comes from a focal point of an attack to now we’ve got Kevin Durant and Devin Booker scoring damn close to 50 points a game that night and he has to change his game.
NBA NEWS & PLAYOFFS: Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns & Denver Nuggets Updates
A combined 86 points were scored by Booker and Durant in Game 3. Booker tied his playoff career-high with 47 points, shooting 20–25 from the floor. Durant contributed 39 points on 12–31 shooting overall. Over the course of this streak, Ayton has averaged only nine field goal attempts per game.
“There’s a little bit of growth in that, but at the same time he’s still doing so many good things for us,” Landale said. “He’s a great guy on the bench, dressing room man. There are so many positives that people just seem to leave out and blatantly ignore and they just want to hammer on the negatives. I know part of that is pushing him to be better but sometimes the guy just needs to be left alone and I think there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Ayton will have a chance to bounce back in Game 4 on Sunday as the Suns aim to tie the series 2–2 before Game 5 is played in Denver.
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