Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton had the type of so-called revenge game on Saturday night against his former team many athletes dream about.
Ayton scored 24 points on 11-of-12 shooting with seven rebounds in a 127-108 trouncing of the Phoenix Suns at the Moda Center.
Yet after the game, Ayton downplayed the significance of his performance against the team that traded him before the 2023-24 season.
“I don’t really care about that,” Ayton said.
Maybe the Suns do, though. Right now, they could use a player like Ayton. The Blazers dominated the Suns inside, scoring 66 points in the paint, while Phoenix managed 32.
The Blazers sent center Jusuf Nurkic to the Suns in the deal for Ayton that also netted forward Toumani Camara, another player Phoenix could use.
But while Camara scored 18 points with 10 rebounds, and Ayton was “DominAyton,” Nurkic did not play, having been erased from the rotation weeks ago after a solid first season with the Suns.
Phoenix gave up on Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft, because of his lack of consistency, attention to detail and intensity. Those issues also dogged Ayton last season with the Blazers, and he continued not living up to his $34 million salary this season.
Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards, left, drives to the basket as Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton, right, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman) APAP
Along the way, there were many solid performances against the Suns when he played. He missed three of the first six meetings:
Nov. 21, 2023, at Phoenix: Ayton scored 18 points with 13 rebounds in his first meeting against his former team. He shot 9 of 14 in a 120-107 loss.
Dec. 19, 2023, in Portland: Ayton went 6 of 18 from the field for 16 points with 15 rebounds in a 109-104 Blazers win.
Jan. 1, 2024, at Phoenix: Did not play in a 109-88 loss.
Jan. 14, 2024, in Portland: Did not play in a 127-116 loss.
Nov. 2, 2024, at Phoenix: Ayton scored just 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting but had 13 rebounds during a 103-97 loss.
Dec. 15, 2024, at Phoenix: Did not play in a 116-109 loss.
Then came Saturday when Ayton added another dominant performance to his current stretch of games that have helped the Blazers with seven of their last eight.
In his four performances – he missed three games with a knee injury – Ayton has averaged 22.3 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 71.9% from the field. He has been visibly more active, vocal, intense, engaged and competitive.
His performances against Miami (22 points, 15 rebounds) and Milwaukee (21 and 14) were the first time he scored 20 or more points in back-to-back games this season.
This is arguably his most impressive four-game stretch with the Blazers, given the winning.
Late last season, Ayton put together an impressive 15-game run, averaging 23.2 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. But those nights came when the team was in full-on tank mode with many of the team’s other key players on the injured list.
The team went 4-11 in those games.
Portland Trail Blazers center Deandre Ayton (2) dunks over Phoenix Suns center Nick Richards (2) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Amanda Loman) APAP
Ayton’s current run is helping fuel the surge of victories as the roster is nearly wholly healthy and coming together like few had expected.
Teammate Scoot Henderson called Ayton one of the best forwards/centers in the NBA.
“I don’t even like calling him a five because he doesn’t even move like a lot of the fives in the league,” Henderson said. “He’s so fast, and gets up the floor and is so much more skilled than a lot of guys at his position.”
Blazers coach Chauncey Billups has repeatedly pointed out recently that the center has elevated his play in many areas, especially on defense, and has become a better vocal leader.
“He’s been really focused and locked in,” Billups said.
Will this continue? Henderson hopes so.
“When DA is locked in, we were a whole different team,” he said. “And that’s where I come in and try to help him get to that level.”
When Ayton is locked in and engaged, Henerson added, the rest of the team feeds off of his energy.
“When DA plays like that, it’s easy for everybody else,” Henderson said. “It’s easy for us to come off the screens and make a play. And then somehow the ball ends up in his hands and he starts to cook.”
Ayton credits the young players’ growth and energy for the team’s improvement. When asked if they inspired him to play better himself, Ayton responded, “I’ve been here. I’ve just been waiting for these boys to catch up.”
That suggests that as long as the team is fully engaged, focused and playing the right way, Ayton will be on top of his game, as well.
“I just think I’m that type of player,” he said. “I’m a dude who has a lot of energy, and I want the best for people. So, if they’re on the court with me, I know how to make you better.”
— Aaron Fentress | [email protected] | @AaronJFentress (Twitter), @AaronJFentress (Instagram), @AaronFentress (Facebook)
