There’s something up with the Phoenix Suns, man. Things just don’t feel right at all.
I don’t know if the Robert Sarver stuff and the team sale to Mat Ishbia has the team on edge, but the vibe just doesn’t feel right in Phoenix. We saw that on full display on Tuesday night in the team’s loss to the Wizards.
Of course, Devin Booker didn’t play in this game. And that’s a big part of why their offense wasn’t up to par. But the Wizards had lost 11 of their last 12 games heading into Tuesday night. This should’ve been a win for the Suns regardless.
But, instead, Deandre Ayton was busy arguing in the 4th quarter with Monty Williams and other members of the team during a timeout.
That argument also bled onto the court, too, and led to a hilarious moment with Bradley Beal. Mikal Bridges and Ayton continued arguing with Deni Avdija was on the free-throw line.
Beal caught wind of their argument and immediately began trolling by clapping as loudly as possible in their faces.
Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun had a game-high 26 points and 16 rebounds, respectively, leading Houston to its fifth straight home win in Tuesday’s rout over Chris Paul’s Suns.
Jalen Green and Alperen Sengun had a game-high 26 points and 16 rebounds, respectively, leading Houston to yet another home win, 111-97 (box score), over Chris Paul and the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.
The Rockets have won five straight games at Toyota Center along with three of their last four overall and six of 10.
It was an inspirational win for the Rockets in the return of head coach Stephen Silas, who had missed Sunday’s game following the death of his father, renowned NBA lifer Paul Silas.
Paul led the short-handed Suns with 16 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds, shooting just 5-of-17 from the field (29.4%) and 2-of-10 on 3-pointers (20.0%). Phoenix (16-12) was without All-Star Devin Booker due to hamstring tightness, and they lost Deandre Ayton to a sprained ankle during the contest.
After holding opponents below 100 points just twice in their first 25 games, the resurgent Rockets (9-18) have held Milwaukee and Phoenix to 92 and 97 points, respectively, in back-to-back home wins.
On offense, despite making just 1-of-7 from 3-point range (14.3%) and 7-of-17 shots overall (41.2%), Green was still relatively efficient in his 26 points thanks to an 11-of-12 showing (91.7%) at the free-throw line. Sengun had 10 points and those massive 16 rebounds, helping Houston to an overwhelming advantage, 71-50, on the glass.
Rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr. had an efficient 14 points and 8 rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting (80%), making all three of his 3-pointers. Kevin Porter Jr.had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, and the Rockets were plus-22 during his 33 minutes played, best of any player.
Scroll on for highlights, analysis and postgame interview reaction. Houston (9-18) plays the third game of its longest homestand of the season on Thursday versus Miami. The tip is 7 p.m. Central.
During the fourth quarter of a loss against the Suns, Phoenix’s Devin Booker fouled Lakers wing Austin Reaves. Booker and his teammate Deandre Ayton then stood above Reaves, much to the chagrin of Beverley.
Within mere moments, Beverley charged at Ayton and shoved him to the floor. The two teams were nearly involved in an altercation before they were eventually separated.
Patrick Beverley shoves Deandre Ayton after he is seen standing over Austin Reaves 🤯pic.twitter.com/lnn8v6QDE4
As the refs gathered to make a decision about whether or not Booker’s foul was flagrant, Beverley already knew his fate.
Rather than wait until hear what the officials had to say, Beverley made his way to the locker room so he didn’t have to hear the boos rain down from the fans at the Footprint Center as the verdict was read:
Lakers big man Anthony Davis, who finished the game with 37 points and 21 rebounds as well as 5 steals and 5 blocks, said Ayton and Booker were being “disrespectful” by standing over Reaves.
Today, we’ll take a look at players headed in the opposite direction, the guys who have taken a step back, either in production or impact – in some cases both.
Some of these players can blame age and mileage for their regressions while others are a bit more difficult to figure out.
Below, check out the NBA players who have taken a step back thus far in the 2022-23 campaign, a list Klay Thompson just barely missed out on after his recent explosion against the Houston Rockets.
With Eric Gordon out and Jabari Smith Jr. questionable, the Rockets likely Jalen Green to break out of his recent slump to compete with Chris Paul and Devin Booker’s Suns.
With losses in five of their first six games, the young Houston Rockets (1-5) continue a four-game road trip with Sunday night’s game at Phoenix (4-1).
The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Houston, and the injury report isn’t helping, either. Since the Rockets also play Monday against the Clippers in Los Angeles as part of a back-to-back, veteran guard Eric Gordon is listed as out for injury maintenance on Sunday’s front end, as he does for half of most back-to-backs.
Rookie forward Jabari Smith Jr., who missed much of the preseason with a sprained left ankle, is listed as questionable with a sprained right ankle. Because he’s listed as questionable, this sprain doesn’t appear to be as significant as the one to his other ankle, which led to him missing nearly two weeks in early October.
Based on those issues, the Rockets almost certainly need a strong game from second-year guard Jalen Green if they want to compete with Chris Paul and Devin Booker’s Suns. Green is averaging just 14 points per game on 25.6% shooting (21.1% on 3-pointers) over his last two outings, and the Rockets badly need a resurgence.
While the NBA’s offseason always leads to familiar faces in new places, there is inevitably an adjustment period.
Veteran big man DeAndre Jordan made his third preseason appearance in the starting lineup for the Nuggets last night, but unfortunately, some still are not fully accustomed to the transition.
Jordan, who signed a one-year deal with Denver, is expected to fill many of the backup center minutes for back-to-back Most Valuable Player recipient Nikola Jokic. The reigning MVP has played just one preseason game but is currently being held out due to a wrist injury.
So with Jordan filling in as a starter, during the pregame introductions before the game against the Suns, his name was announced with the other starters.
DeAndre Jordan's reaction after the Nuggets announcer introduced him as Deandre Ayton 🤣 pic.twitter.com/yZ45At5kyJ
But there was one problem: Nuggets PA announcer Kyle Speller didn’t actually say his name, and accidentally referred to him as Deandre Ayton.
The mistake was relatively understandable considering Denver was playing against Ayton’s Suns.
Davon Reed, pictured above, was the first to visibly notice the mistake.
To his credit, Speller immediately corrected what he said and subsequently said the right name. However, the damage was already done, and the results led to a hilarious face made by Jordan.
You almost have to hand it to Deandre Ayton: He’s elite at holding grudges and you won’t find someone who looks more miserable after signing a $133 million contract.
Obviously, frustration is understandable after a huge letdown like that. But Ayton and Williams have had four months to talk through those differences and focus on the upcoming season. Surely, they took advantage of that time to smooth things out, right?
Yeah … guess again.
Deandre Ayton said he and Monty Williams have not spoken about their sideline incident in Game 7: pic.twitter.com/Z9rHYHr5yX
Ayton, speaking at Suns practice Tuesday, told reporters that he still hasn’t spoken to his head coach since Game 7. Like, they’ve spent the past two days in the same building and still have not talked to each other, which is a wild thing to admit.
On top of that, Ayton didn’t seem thrilled to be back in Phoenix this season when asked in media day about his reaction to the Suns matching the Pacers’ offer sheet.
Suns center Deandre Ayton kept his answer short when he was asked about the team matching the Pacers' offer sheet. pic.twitter.com/SmRToIUYDQ
ESPN’s Marc Spears described this afternoon as the “saddest media day” he has ever attended.Â
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The Suns had the best record in the NBA last season, but the tides have changed for the worse in the months since then.
Perhaps the vibes were just bad, but it seemed especially bad for Deandre Ayton. The big man told Spears that it “felt like there was a cloud” hanging over the franchise.
When asked about his new contract, the former No. 1 overall pick said he was “happy” and we can take him at his word. But the “I guess” that he added a few seconds later seemed to carry more weight.
Ayton cannot be traded until Jan. 15, and he has the right to veto any trade during the first year of his new contract. While nothing is imminent on that front, I would be surprised if he is their big man of the future.
There will be other significant personnel changes on the roster, though. Phoenix is expected to trade Jae Crowder sooner rather than later, and the disgruntled veteran forward did not report to training camp.
Even though Sarver said he intends to sell the team, the situation in Phoenix does not look pretty right now. Head coach Monty Williams has a tough road in front of him, but if there is anyone who can handle adversity, it’s him.
Hopefully, Sarver’s sale of the Suns happens soon, and a new ownership group can help remove the cloud seemingly hanging above the organization.
The Tip-Off
Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
“While those in-person spectators have an up-close look at the game, those watching the television broadcasts have the advantage of audio and visual breakdowns that in-game attendees don’t.
Ever wonder which basic replays the people at games are seeing as you sit home with five or six different slow-mo views of the same play? What about when there’s a scoring change that the broadcast team announced but the public address announcer didn’t?
The NBA is getting ready to make life a little bit easier for those fans attending games—and bettors everywhere.”
This is designed to eliminate controversies like the one that happened when Miami wing Max Strus hit a 3-pointer during the Eastern Conference finals against Boston, but it was later called off.
Phoenix reportedly matched Indiana’s offer sheet. Now what?
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The Phoenix Suns had been playing hardball with star center Deandre Ayton since last summer when he first became eligible for the rookie max extension. They didn’t offer it to him then, and they didn’t offer it this summer either, instead allowing him to seek max money with another team as a restricted free agent.
Well, Ayton found that max deal Thursday in the form of the largest offer sheet in NBA history, a reported four-year, $133 million deal with the Indiana Pacers. And Phoenix obviously matched it, as it became evident they could lose the young center for nothing.
So now the Suns have a player on the roster who they’ve made clear they don’t value at the money he’s about to be making. Negotiations last summer left Ayton “disappointed” and feeling disrespected, and nothing about the way this summer has gone is likely to change that. But he also remains the second or third best player on a team built to win now. So what was really the point?
I don’t know the answer to that. But I do know Ayton’s new deal will pay him a reported $33 million annually. Had Phoenix offered him the rookie max last summer, he’d be on a contract that averaged about $34 million. So they potentially upset the 2018 No. 1 overall pick who will only be 24 at the start of next season and is improving each year over a difference of $1 million a year? It seems cheap and leaves no wonder why the Suns missed the playoffs 10 straight years before Chris Paul’s arrival.
Teams pay players more than they value them all the time because the market dictates how much players are worth. Ayton was always going to fetch a decent price tag, which means Phoenix should have traded him a long time ago if they didn’t want to pay him. Now a trade feels even more inevitable but will have to happen at a more inopportune time if and when it occurs.
After signing his extension, Ayton can’t be moved until Jan. 15. That means the Suns could potentially be in the middle of another incredible regular season — like last year’s first-place season — when they have to decide or be forced to get rid of a key piece of that. It’s not an enviable position, especially if there’s no obvious upgrade available. But it was all completely avoidable.
The Tip-Off
Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.
Christian Petersen/Getty Images
When news first broke of Deandre Ayton’s offer sheet with the Pacers, the first thought on a lot of people’s minds was what it meant for a potential Kevin Durant trade to Phoenix, which was reportedly one of KD’s preferred destinations.
“It was pretty easy to connect the dots that a sign-and-trade centered around Ayton would make a lot of sense for both parties, even if Ayton were simply re-routed to a third team.
But restricted free agents who agree to an offer sheet are not allowed to be included in sign-and-trade transactions. So in turn, the biggest consequence of today’s news is that Ayton cannot be involved in a sign-and-trade for KD.
Phoenix could potentially still land KD in a trade centered around Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson, but that feels less enticing for Brooklyn. So with the Suns potentially weakening their bid, does that mean Durant ends up staying with the Nets next season?”
Connecticut Sun (-400) at Atlanta Dream (+7.5, +300), O/U 155.5, 7:30 PM ET
In their previous two meetings, the Sun beat the Dream by an average of 12 points. And the Dream are coming off consecutive losses of at least 15 points. This could be another long night for Atlanta. I’m taking the Sun to cover.
Shootaround
— The Pelicans Twitter account had a perfect response for a Lakers fan troll who tried to mock their team chemistry.
The Indiana Pacers and center Deandre Ayton have agreed on a four-year, $132.9 million maximum offer sheet, according to Adrian Wojanarowski. If there’s a sign-and-trade to be done between the two teams, now is the time… because that possibility for Ayton gets eliminated once he officially signs the offer sheet.
