4 takeaways from Phoenix Suns’ dominating win in Dallas

Deandre Ayton Played Angry

Deandre Ayton must have read my pregame post about playing angry, because he played angry. Okay, he probably didn’t, but there was no doubt his demeanor on the court was different Tuesday night than normal.

He was focused, intense, and engaged on both ends of the court, and it led to a season high 31 points on 13-15 shooting (5-5 from the free throw line), and nine rebounds in only 29 minutes of playing time.

In fact, the referees were the only guys on the court who could slow him down, as they handed him a few super cheap foul calls, forcing him to sit out more than he otherwise would have.

What was great about Ayton’s performance outside of his game face was his shot selection. He didn’t settle for any fade away mid-range jumpers. All 15 of his shots came in the paint, and several of them were aggressive moves to the rim.

A few times he even tried to dunk in dudes’ faces, and although we didn’t get a full-blown posterization, give me that kind of DA energy all day.

The reason for this newfound intensity? Look no further than Luka Doncic, the man for which so many Suns fans have openly expressed draft remorse. Ayton stepped on that court looking to prove he was the right choice after all, and for a night, did it.

Luka finished with 21 points, six rebounds, both less than Deandre. He also chipped in only two assists, which coincidently, was only one more than DA.

If only the Phoenix Suns could play against Luka every night.