Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton is confident his team will respond after losing by double digits in Game 1 of its Western Conference semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
Via The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin:
"Can't really be overwhelmed on this first game."
Deandre Ayton after #Suns drop Game 1 to #Nuggets.
Game 2 Monday in Denver. #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/tdc5UItiIp
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 30, 2023
"This is playoff basketball. This is where you have to adjust and really see what your team is made of."
Deandre Ayton as #Suns lost Game 1 for 2nd time in #NBAPlayoffs2023
Lost Game 1 to #Clippers. Won series in five.
Dropped Game 1 Saturday at #Nuggets.
Game 2 Monday. pic.twitter.com/PsduvK9c6V
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 30, 2023
“It’s going to be a complete different team next game,” he said. “…We’re going to hold this ‘L’ but learn from it as well, and understand that this is playoff basketball.”
Ayton and the Suns are the favorites in the Western Conference. They were not favored to win Game 1 but still have better star power with Ayton, Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Before Saturday’s game, the Suns were 12-1 with Durant in the lineup, including five postseason games. But the Nuggets did not look like the underdog Saturday, as they used a 37-19 second quarter that set them up for a 125-107 win.
“Can’t really be overwhelmed on this first game, to be honest,” Ayton said. “We’ve been here before.”
Phoenix lost Game 1 of its first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers but responded with four straight victories to win the series.
Ayton does not have it easy in this series. He is defending Nikola Jokic, a two-time MVP who is considered the best at his position as a playmaker.
Ayton gave Jokic trouble in the Phoenix Suns’ sweep of the Nuggets in the 2021 Western Conference Semifinals. It is difficult to stop Jokic entirely, but Ayton is perceived to have the athleticism and ability to do so.
Jokic shot 9-of-21 from the field while being guarded mostly by Ayton in Game 1. Ayton noted it was his second time guarding Jokic this season.
Still, Jokic had 24 points and the Nuggets had great contributions outside of the two-time MVP and Murray.
“As a team, we can’t let everybody be eating like that,” Ayton said. “It was a team effort on their end. I think everybody got going, the head of the snake was Murray. We can fix things like that. We can adjust big-time.”
Ayton noted the Suns’ rebounding and communication as reasons why they lost. Denver outrebounded Phoenix 49-38, took 17 more shots and looked more energetic and intentional in its offensive execution.
“I felt like they was just really comfortable, and we weren’t in their way,” Ayton said. “That’s not Suns basketball.”
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