The Phoenix Suns tipped-off on the virtual hardwood against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, but this time with a new twist. While professional gamers Antonio Saldivar AKA “UniversalPhe2k” and Jamie Diaz Ruiz AKA “DirK” took the mics for their respected teams on Twitch, the game itself was in the hands of 2K20 as the simulation began.
The Suns found themselves down 4-2 in the opening minutes before taking off on an 8-0 run and never looking back.
It was Deandre Ayton early and often for the Suns as his elite presence in the paint on both ends of the court was on display throughout the entirety of the game. The man known as “DominAYTON” was living up to his nickname, leading all scorers at halftime with 8 points on a perfect 4-of-4 shooting as the Suns took a 28-17 advantage into the break.
The Big Fella was just getting started. Coming out of halftime, Ayton picked up right where he left off, scoring the first two bucket following intermission as the Suns began to pull away.
However, the Wizards surged late in the game and pulled it to within 10 early in the fourth as they looked make a comeback. The Suns weren’t about to let them have it and quickly responded with a 6-0 run to bring themselves to a comfortable lead yet again.
Devin Booker’s defense was key for the Valley Boyz all night as he held Bradley Beal to just 2-of-14 in the contest (started 0-11). It wasn’t just Booker’s defense that shined for the young star as he scored a late six points to close-out the game as the Suns defeated the Wizards 52-41.
It was all about turning defense into offense in this one as the Suns out-shot the Wizards 47.9% to 34.7% and scored 17 of their 52 points on fast breaks.
Booker led the Suns with 15 points, shooting 5-of-11 from the field. The All-Star guard has been the Suns’ leading scorer in 42 of the 62 games he’s played in the 2019-20 season.
Ayton scored 12 points on a perfect 6-of-6 from the field with 8 rebounds. Although the Big Fella has often come close over the last two months (8-9 FG on 2/24 at Utah; 13-15 FG on 1/28 at Dallas; 10-12 FG on 2/28 vs. Detroit), he has not yet shot 100% from the field in an NBA game.
The Suns will return to the virtual hardwood on Friday at 3:00 p.m. PT as the team gears up to take on the Philadelphia 76ers on Twitch. Stay tuned on Suns social for more information on their upcoming matchup.
Booker: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 2-3 3PT
Ayton: 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6-6 FG
Śarić: 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Rubio: 4 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds
Jerome: 4 points, 2 assists, 1 rebound, 2-2 FG
Kaminsky: 3 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
Oubre: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
Bridges: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal
Carter: 2 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Johnson: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1-1 FG
Baynes: 2 rebounds