Ayton (ribs) is out for Thursday's Game 6 versus the Nuggets, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Ayton has been downgraded from questionable to out Thursday due to a rib contusion. Jock Landale and Bismack Biyombo should see extended roles in Ayton's absence. The Suns will have to win Game 6 and force a Game 7 in order for the 24-year-old to have a chance of suiting up again this postseason.
Ayton (rib contusion) is questionable for Game 6 versus the Nuggets on Thursday according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.
Ayton is the only player on the injury report other than Chris Paul, who will sit once again with his groin strain. Ayton has had a shaky series against the Nuggets so far, but it's hard to imagine him sitting out with their season on the line. If Ayton is unable to play, we'd likely see more of Jock Landale, T.J. Warren and possibly Bismack Biyombo.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Improved performance in loss
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Ayton closed Tuesday's 118-102 loss to the Nuggets in Game 5 of the Western Conference Semifinals with 14 points (7-12 FG), nine rebounds, one assist, one block and two steals over 32 minutes.
Ayton delivered an improved performance Tuesday, at least from a statistical standpoint. While his numbers were more in line with what he was able to put up during the regular season, he still ended the game as a team-worst minus-21. Despite playing just 16 minutes, Jock Landale on the other hand was a team-best plus-5. Now trailing 3-2 in the series, the Suns will head back to Phonex for Game 6, a must-win should they hope to stay alive in the playoffs.
Suns' Deandre Ayton: Limited despite high efficiency
Rotowire
Ayton posted 14 points (7-10 FG), eight rebounds, four assists and one block in 33 minutes during Monday's 97-87 loss to Denver in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
Ayton delivered another efficient performance in Game 2, but just like in Game 1, he failed to reach the 15-point mark and couldn't record double-digit rebounds. There's no question that dealing with Nikola Jokic has been quite a challenge for Ayton. While he remains valuable in DFS and playoff-based formats, there's no question his impact has been diminished compared to the one he had against the Clippers in the first round. There's a chance that changes in Game 3, however, as he could be in line for more offensive touches in the event Chris Paul (groin) ends up missing Friday's contest.
Ayton had 12 points (4-9 FG, 4-8 FT), 11 rebounds and one steal across 35 minutes during Thursday's 129-124 victory over the Clippers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Ayton has posted a double-double in back-to-back contests, and the Suns have claimed a 2-1 lead over the Clippers after dropping Game 1. Through three playoff contests, the fifth-year big man is averaging 14.7 points and 10.7 rebounds, but he's shooting just 60 percent from the free-throw line. Ayton shot 76 percent from the charity stripe during the regular season and has never shot below 74 percent in his career, so an uptick in that department could bode well for his overall production moving forward.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Logs 14/13 double-double
Rotowire
Ayton notched 14 points (7-10 FG) and 13 rebounds in 32 minutes during Tuesday's 123-109 victory over the Clippers in Game 2 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals.
Ayton got in foul trouble early, and the Suns looked like a different team while he was on the bench. His absence allowed the Clippers to get back into contention after building a double-digit lead, but he finally returned for six minutes in the fourth quarter as the Suns pulled away. Unsurprisingly, Ayton's plus-minus was plus-15 in the Game 2 win.
Ayton (rest) will not play Sunday against the Clippers, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com reports.
The Suns will again rest their core players ahead of the playoffs, and with Bismack Biyombo (knee) also shelved, Jock Landale should see plenty of time at center. Ayton ends the 2022-23 regular season with averages of 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.4 minutes.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Officially out
Rotowire
Ayton (rest) has been ruled out for Friday's game against the Lakers, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
As expected, Ayton, along with Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, will all take a seat Friday for rest purposes. In Ayton's absence, Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale are candidates for increased roles versus Los Angeles.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Likely out against Lakers
Rotowire
Ayton is expected to sit out Friday's game versus the Lakers for rest purposes, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
With Phoenix locked into the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference, they are expected to rest their star players on the second leg of their back-to-back Friday. Bismack Biyombo and Jock Landale will likely receive extended minutes if Ayton is ruled out.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Records double-double in win
Rotowire
Ayton provided 19 points (8-12 FG, 3-4 FT) and 11 rebounds over 31 minutes during Sunday's 128-118 victory over the Thunder.
For the first time since returning from a hip injury a week ago, Ayton logged a double-double with some solid rebounding and scoring numbers Sunday night. Unfortunately, it was also another game where he failed to record a single block. The young center out of Arizona has had zero blocks in five of his last seven contests after what was a strong run of games in February with more consistent production in that category.
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Suns' Deandre Ayton: Struggles offensively
Rotowire
Ayton finished with eight points (4-11 FG, 0-2 FT), 10 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 28 minutes during Friday's 100-93 victory over Denver.
Ayton struggled to find any offensive rhythm but salvaged his production with a team-high 10 boards. Since returning from a three-game absence, Ayton has posted modest averages of 10.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 29.0 minutes over his past three appearances.
