'Playoff game': Deandre Ayton returns for Suns-Mavericks showdown

Sorry, son.

When asked what illness sidelined him for three games, Phoenix Suns starting big Deandre Ayton didn’t know exactly what it was, but has a good idea why he got sick.

“I think I caught it from my baby boy,” said Ayton about his son and namesake. “Sorry to throw you under the bus junior but still, I think I caught it from him."

Still sounding a bit congested, but ready to go, Ayton returns Thursday night against Dallas (25-24) in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semifinals, which the Suns lost in seven games.

“This is a playoff game,” Ayton said after Thursday’s morning shootaround at the team’s practice facility. “Both teams know this game is very important."

Ayton talked about the illness, Phoenix (25-24) winning its last three without him, facing Dallas and more.

Q: What did you exactly come down with?

A: I don’t even know. I think I caught it from my baby boy. Sorry to throw you under the bus junior but still, I think I caught it from him. He wasn’t feeling too well. Got some wheezing going on and stuff like that. Knocked me down, but I’m back up.”

Q: How has it been trying to get back your wind and conditioning?

A: I was just dealing with headaches. Had problems breathing every time I wanted to turn my intensity up. Every time I’m trying to find my breath, it felt like I was playing in Denver, but I’m getting a headache at the same time. We thought it was all the viruses that go around, but I was negative on everything. Honestly, I was just happy about that. It’s not COVID or anything or no flu. Once it was a cold or a little sinus issue, I’m good. Just got to deal with this headache and just try to get my body together.”

Q: Coach (Monty Williams) said when you were trying to get back on the conditioning, your systems went into overload. Describe that?

A: Yeah, they just crashed out on me. I think when I went on the treadmill after working out. Everything just crashed out after that. I didn’t feel well. Couldn’t even play. I wanted to ramp things up that practice day and try to play (Tuesday) against Charlotte, but it wasn’t working out. My body wasn’t having it. Just trying to get into that mental state where you want to go hard and you want to do this. I know we’re just playing basketball, but it takes a lot of focus and all that stuff to play this game of basketball. It’s hard to win a game. So I know for a fact I didn’t have it. My body was just too weak.”

Q: What was it like watching the team win the last three without you?

A: “Watching them was fun. I’m not going to lie. Watching was fun. Just seeing how everybody had that next man up mentality. Just having somebody like Bismack Biyombo on the floor to give you that defensive anchor. That presence on the floor whether it’s pressure on the rim or blocking shots. That dude put on a show. We got Cam (Johnson) and Mikal (Bridges) is doing his thing. Forget the warden. He’s playing like a lieutenant. Just happy to see all of that and just trying to join. Just put my piece to the puzzle and try to contribute as much as I can.”

Q: You mentioned Biz and blocking shots. What makes him special as a shot blocker?

A: Man, he put his heart and soul in every play, defensively and offensively, but defensively, that’s his specialty. Really about being fearless. Just sending your stuff to the 10^th row. It might be nose bleeds tonight. That man is fearless when it comes to just being that anchor. He takes pride in it. Being in the pick-and-roll coverage, blitzing. He goes 110%. I learn a lot from him. Just pressuring the ball. Interrupt people’s coverages. How he affects the game, but he does it every possession. That’s one of the main reasons why we’re good right now.”

Q: Was this a similar feeling when you got hit out of nowhere by that flu?

A: “I was saying that. I remember this happening last year. We were on the road I think when all of us got sick. I was trying to be safe, not be around my guys. Just got better. Might still sound a little congested, but other that, I’m not contagious.”

Q: Fortunate to only miss three games? (Ayton missed three games last season with a non-COVID illness in December 2021 and five in safety protocols from late December 2021 to early January 2022).

A: Yes. I wasn’t even trying to go to three games. I wanted to just be two games, but the back-to-back wasn’t enough, I guess. Just needed a couple of more days to really get conditioning in and get the routine back and jump straight into it. Definitely take step by step, getting treatment done. Checking in with my trainers. Being on top of my medications, but mainly just seeing my guys in here working out, get a couple of workouts in and running the floor a little bit to see where I’m at. I’m good now.”

Q: Just been a couple of games, but getting Cam back and Chris (Paul back), how exciting is it to see them back?

A: Oh man, it’s a different look now. It’s a different look. Not taking away from the guys who have been here and been holding it down for us with the guys being out, but other than, it’s a whole different team. All of us together are doing this now. Now we got CP. Now we’re waiting for Book (Devin Booker). Having CP back is big time because you know, games like the Memphis game, having somebody like Chris Paul on the court, that is much needed. Him controlling the game 110%. Just making sure it doesn’t get out of hand. Whether we won by one, it doesn’t matter. We won the game because dude was on the court. He’s the floor general.”

Q: What do you think about the matchup with Dallas?

A: Both teams know each other pretty well. It’s going to be a dog fight. They have a lot of stuff going on with their offense that we’re aware of. We’ve just got to make sure we handle business. It’s going to be a big game where it’s a lot of guard-on-guard screening actions. I think our bigs are going to be out there having to guard some guards tonight. We’re going to have to guard our man straight up. That’s what we’re prepared for and we know that’s what they’re going to do and a lot of shots are going to be up. They’re going to take a lot of shots whether it’s in transition, but especially in transition. They’re going to put a lot of 3s up.”

Q: You played a lot of competitive games before that series.

A: It feels like a playoff game. That’s how this game is. It’s a playoff game and both teams know this game is very important. Not to say that none of the games are important, but this one is a big game. We’ve been through that battle. We went to the end with those guys. It’ll be a fun match.”

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: 'Playoff game': Deandre Ayton returns for Suns-Mavericks showdown