For Suns, Ayton’s game-winner captures his dominance and team’s mindset vs Clippers

The ball sailed into the air. Then Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton slammed the ball into the basket.

The sell-out crowd went into a fury. Ayton just threw down a lob off an inbounds pass from Jae Crowder that clinched the Suns’ 104-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals. At least after a lengthy video review confirmed the play’s validity and the Clippers failed to execute a full-court inbounds pass with 0.7 seconds remaining.

No wonder Ayton said he completed the best play of his three-year NBA career after finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds and one memorable lob that gave the Suns a 2-0 series lead.

“I never played so hard from the jump ball to the end, 150%,” Ayton said. “Usually it’s like 110%, but tonight it’s 150% and it’s 150% mentally. Just the level of focus and the things you have to really pay attention to, it’s really intense.”

This moment does not just capture Ayton’s growth in his consistency, his work habits and living up to expectations as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft. Ayton’s game-winner also captured how the Suns have emerged as a championship contender this season because of their team mindset. And it happened with All-Star guard Chris Paul missing a second consecutive game while remaining in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.

Consider how Ayton first talked about his dunk. Ayton reflected on the others involved with the play that entailed Suns coach Monty Williams calling a unique play, Crowder throwing an inbounds pass and Suns guard Devin Booker setting an effective back screen to free up Ayton.

“That’s definitely Jae’s game winner, making a great pass to a 7-footer,” Ayton said. “Other than that, coach drew up a great play where I was in the best position where my coaches trust me and my teammates trust me.”

Ayton had thrown down plenty of lobs in his early career. But in a game that featured 11 leads changes, eight ties, disputed calls and physical play, Ayton’s game-winner punctuated a night that required the Suns to tap into their resiliency and teamwork.

So as Crowder held the ball along the baseline, Ayton made a move that helped him get closer to the basket while warding off his defender. With Zubac guarding Ayton along the nearside of the court, Ayton first cut left to set a quick screen on Clippers forward Paul George. But with George quickly recovering, Ayton cut right to set up another screen.

Booker needed to set up a game-winner after usually spending his time making them. Booker could not recall any time he had ever set a screen for a final play. He did, though, for Game 2.

And Crowder made the perfect pass for the 6-11, 250-pound Ayton to finish.

“I told Jae I’m going to catch it, and he gave me the nod,” Ayton said. “There’s no questioning after that. Once he said he was going to throw it, I said I’m going to catch it, and if something happens, something happens.”

What happened was a lot of commotion. The Clippers protested the call. Rajon Rondo, who’s highly touted for his basketball IQ, disputed the call.

But Booker informed him otherwise. Ayton admittedly did not know what to think. So all they could do was wait. Then the play-by-play announcer said with a dramatic pause, “after video review, the basket counts.” The Suns and their fans went crazy.

“Per NBA rule, an offensive player can touch the ball in the cylinder during a throw in,” official Scott Foster told a pool reporter. “In this case, Ayton controlled the ball, completed the basket, and we timed it at the replay center to make sure it was less than 0.9 and that act of him touching the ball and clearing the net only took 0.2.”

Williams had admittedly never run the inbounds play extensively in practice. But he said he tried it earlier in the playoffs against the Denver Nuggets.

No matter. The Suns remained prepared because of their collective identity.

“You could sit here and talk about the plays being drawn up and all that. Our