azcentral.com · Jun 23, 2021
Deandre Ayton's impact in Phoenix Suns' Game 2 victory went beyond the winning dunk
Suns center Deandre Ayton’s performance in the NBA playoffs no longer can be called a coming-out party. Party's over. He’s arrived.
Ayton’s game-winning dunk off an in-bounds pass from Jae Crowder with .7 seconds Tuesday night against the Clippers was an exclamation point to another impressive playoff performance for Ayton.
They are becoming routine now. Ayton has played this way in 12 playoff games over 29 days. The Suns have won 10 of them, including Tuesday's 104-103 victory, and are now up 2-0 on the Clippers in the Western Conference finals.
The Suns played Tuesday without Chris Paul, who remains out while he weaves through the NBA’s COVID-19 health and safety protocols.