In Game 1 of the Suns’ first-round matchup against the Pelicans, Deandre Ayton picked up right where he left off from his last appearance in the postseason. In a double-digit Phoenix win, Ayton scored 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds and four blocks while anchoring the team’s stout defense. This kind of performance has become routine for Ayton, who averaged a 16 and 12 on 66% shooting for the Suns during their run to the Finals last summer—including 10 games in which he shot over 70%. And that taste of success has only emboldened Ayton as Phoenix looks to capture the championship that eluded them a season ago.
“I’m going to tell you the truth right now, that was the worst taste in our mouths,” Ayton told Sports Illustrated late in the regular season about last July’s loss to the Bucks. ”It’s like a knife stabbed us in the chest. I think about it every day. And there’s a certain vengeance I’ve been putting into my game.
“So lord knows we’re coming into this postseason ready.”
