The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

DEANDRE Ayton and the Phoenix Suns dominated a physical game one in their series against the New Orleans Pelicans and the veteran centre said he likes the tone that has been set for the postseason.

Ayton finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots in the Suns’ 110-99 win Sunday night at the Footprint Center, but one of the most memorable plays was an inadvertent shot he took to the face from the Pelicans’ Herb Jones.

“I’m fine. If that’s how they want to start the series, then so be it. It’s a physical game, it’s the playoffs,” he said. “Hits like that count. Regular season, you got 81 more after a game like that but we’re in the playoffs. It didn’t look like he did it intentionally — it’s part of the game — so I’m not really going crazy over no hit.”

Suns head coach Monty Williams also believed it was incidental.

“I’ve got to look at the film. The coaches told me they didn’t think it was a malicious shot, but nonetheless, it was a physical game,” Williams said.

“I’m not quite sure it was a malicious shot. I’ve got to look at the film to make sure but I didn’t see that.”

Jones collided with Ayton in an attempt to pick up Suns point Chris Paul for full court pressure. Referees reviewed the play for a possible flagrant foul but the play was ruled unintentional.

Game two in the series is scheduled for tonight at 10pm local time.

The 23-year-old centre averaged 17.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per season. He produced career highs in field goal (63 percent) and free throw percentage (64 percent).

After losing to the Milwaukee Bucks in last year’s NBA Finals, Ayton said the Suns’ mission is to repeat as Western Conference champions and complete the job by claiming the Larry O’Brien trophy.

Ayton’s memorable 2021 postseason included averages of 15.8 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. He shot 65 percent from the field and finished with 14 double doubles.

According to StatMuse, Ayton was the first player in NBA history to average at least 15 points and 10 rebounds per game on 65 percent field goal shooting in a single playoffs (minimum of 10 games).

In the Finals, Ayton averaged 14.7 points, 12 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game on 54 percent shooting from the field. He posted 22 points and 19 rebounds in his NBA Finals debut and followed with 10 points and 11 rebounds in game two - both wins for the Suns. He followed with 18 points and nine rebounds in a game three loss, six points and 17 rebounds in game four and finally 20 points and 10 rebounds in game five.

“Just doing all the same things but better,” Ayton said of his approach to this postseason. “Last year I think mainly it was just me on the defensive end but now I’m attacking teams. It’s not going to be me, ‘Oh I’m under the rim scoring, ‘No, I want to be under the rim. I want to score. I want to get to the line. Just second-chance baskets, just doing the stuff I did last year and doing more and doing better.”

The Suns finished with an NBA best record 64-18. He said the Suns are willing to embrace the challenge as the league’s most targeted team as the top overall seed. “We got some villains now. Crowds don’t like us for some reason,” Ayton said. “They don’t understand that when y’all talk smack, we’re going to smack your team. So that’s just the motivation — it’s us against the world for real. People hate us when we’re on the road. We like it, we love it.”