If there was any doubt as to why the Phoenix Suns drafted Bahamian DeAndre Ayton with the number one overall pick in the 2018 National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Draft, basketball fans everywhere got some clarity on Saturday night.
Ayton went out and pulled down a career-high 22 boards and added four blocks in an 84-80 pivotal victory for the Suns over the Los Angeles Clippers, giving his team a decisive 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference Finals series at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on Saturday night. They are now on the cusp of punching their ticket to the NBA Finals.
The big man completed the double-double, scoring 19 points in an efficient 41 minutes of play. He went 8-for-14 from the field, shooting 51.7 percent. He grabbed nine offensive boards. In this series, the big man is averaging 20.3 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, including 4.8 offensive rebounds per game. He is also averaging 1.8 blocks per game.
Happy to see his career performance was his point guard, Chris Paul, who spoke highly of the Bahamian.
“To see his growth, man, I get goosebumps. Seriously, man,” Paul said. “We’ve had some heated conversations this season, especially earlier in the season, but man, I genuinely love him … You know what I am saying? The person he is, and to see everything that is coming to him, and the national audience getting to see who he is and why he was the number one pick, I couldn’t be happier for him.”
For Ayton, he said having Chris Paul as a teammate this season has helped him a lot.
“Just C (Paul) is really a dude who pays attention to detail. It’s not how you say it, it’s what he’s saying. I think most people don’t get it. It’s just the message for real, and he cares so much, it’s actually great. I’ve never known a guy who cares so much about basketball and competing at everything, and it’s contagious. That’s what he built in me, and just having him as a teammate and the experience that he went through and teaching me the little things has helped me. It’s working,” Ayton said.
It was not a pretty game in the fourth quarter, at least not offensively. The Suns had a 69-66 lead to start the quarter. This came after they were outscored 30-19 in the third quarter. They squandered a 16-point lead. Both teams struggled from the field in the fourth quarter. The Suns shot just 4-for-19 from the field, 21.1 percent. The Clippers shot lower, 15.8 percent on 3-for-19 shooting. The Suns outscored the Clippers 15-14 in that quarter.
Throughout that fourth quarter, the Clippers searched for their first lead of the game but it never came. The Clippers’ Paul George made two free throws with 13.2 seconds left in the game, trimming the lead to just one point, 79-78. Six seconds later, Paul hit two free throws after being fouled by George. Those free throws gave the Suns a three-point cushion, 81-78. The game came down to who could shoot free throws better. In the end, it was the Suns’ Paul who hit two free throws with 1.3 seconds left in the game to seal the 84-80 victory.
The Suns jumped out to a 14-2 lead early in the first quarter to set the tone of the game. Ayton, who said he was outplayed by Clippers’ center Ivica Zubac in the previous game, led the charge for the Suns in that quarter as he finished with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting from the field. He was a perfect 3-for-3 from the free throw line in that quarter and was able to grab six rebounds. At the end of the first quarter, they led 20-9.
Although he fouled out late in fourth quarter, Devin Booker led the Suns with a game-high 25 points. George led the Clippers with 23 points.
Ayton and the Suns will look to close out the series tonight on their home floor at the Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. The game is set to get underway at 9 o’ clock on ESPN.
The post Ayton’s defense helps Suns take 3-1 lead appeared first on The Nassau Guardian.
source https://thenassauguardian.com/aytons-defense-helps-suns-take-3-1-lead/
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