Phoenix Suns

Deandre Ayton apparently works on his virtual hooping skills as much as he does his real-life ones.

The Phoenix Suns center told Maya A. Jones of ESPN that he spends between four and five hours playing NBA 2K every day.

"I don't think I could live without the game and that's real talk," Ayton said.

Ayton says he has already reached Level 40—the highest you can go—in four different 2K seasons for NBA 2K22, becoming a "Legend" in the process. He believes he's the only NBA player to reach Legend status.

For those unfamiliar, reaching Level 40 takes roughly 150-200 games in Rec (depending on your skill level) and potentially hundreds more if Ayton prefers to play in the Park or Old Gym.

To put it another way: Ayton has put in hundreds of hours crafting his 2K game.

Ayton says gaming helped him make friends as a teenager and reconnected him with people he lost when he moved from the Bahamas to San Diego to pursue his basketball dreams in high school. He manages to keep his basketball game and his one-year-old son at the forefront of his focus while also gaming thanks to an eye-popping sleep schedule; Ayton says he sleeps only a few hours a night and games instantly upon waking up in the morning. 

"Gaming always keeps me level-headed. That's not a thing I'll ever lose. Like on the road right now. ... It's just a load off where I can just play the game and just chill out for a bit and then get back to work," Ayton said. "It's just video games and basketball. That's what keeps my head clear so I can play this sport."

After Dallas Mavericks forward Marquese Chriss and Phoenix Suns center Bismack Biyombo were both ejected late in Game 5 of the second-round playoff series between the Mavs and Suns on Tuesday night, Chriss followed Biyombo into the tunnel.

According to ESPN's Dave McMenamin, security staff members and Mavericks center Boban Marjanovic retrieved Chriss from the tunnel to ensure no further incident took place.

Marquese Chriss and Bismack Biyombo almost went at it in the locker room hallway 😳 https://t.co/erLrolsXcO

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 11, 2022

The on-court confrontation between Chriss and Biyombo occurred with just 2.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Phoenix leading by 28 in a game it won 110-80.

After Chriss fouled Biyombo on a lob attempt, Biyombo walked toward Chriss and Chriss pushed Biyombo's arm away, leading to a stare-down that was broken up by officials.

While Biyombo left the court through the Suns' tunnel, Chriss decided against leaving through the visitors' tunnel and followed Biyombo instead.

Tensions and emotions were seemingly running high in a one-sided affair that saw the top-seeded Suns take a 3-2 series lead over the No. 4 Mavs.

Also, Chriss was playing in a building he called home for the first two years of his career when he was a member of the Suns, which may have been a case of familiarity breeding contempt.

Now, the series will head back to Dallas for Game 6 on Thursday for what will be a must-win situation for the Mavs.

If Dallas is unable to bounce back with a win in Game 6, it will send the Suns to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive season.

The Phoenix Suns announced that they will honor Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner with a No. 42 decal on their home floor at Footprint Center for the remainder of the NBA playoffs.

pic.twitter.com/Ati0rj9kOK

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 10, 2022

Griner is still detained in Russia after being taken into custody in February. Customs officials alleged they found vape cartridges that contained cannabis oil in her possession as she went through security at a Moscow-area airport.

In March, a Russian state-owned news agency TASS reported that Griner was expected to remain in custody until at least May 19. ESPN's T.J. Quinn also reported that month that Griner faces the possibility of being held in Russia for as many as 12 to 18 months before facing a trial, according to Tom Firestone, a former legal adviser for the U.S. embassy in Moscow. The 31-year-old faces a maximum of 10 years in prison if found guilty of illegally transporting narcotics, per ESPN.

On May 3, the U.S. Department of State said it now considers Griner to be "wrongfully detained," a designation that signaled the U.S. government could become more active in working to negotiate her return rather than waiting for the Russian legal process to play out, per Quinn. Bill Richardson, the former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and a seasoned international hostage negotiator, also reportedly agreed to work on Griner's case, according to Quinn.

Like several other WNBA players, Griner was attempting to continue playing overseas during the offseason to earn additional salary. She had traveled to Russia for the resumption of the 2021-22 Russian Premier League season, having played for UMMC Ekaterinburg since 2014.

The detention of the seven-time All-Star center comes during a time in which the diplomatic relationship between the United States and Russian governments is strained following Russia's military invasion of Ukraine that began on Feb. 24.

The U.S. and allied countries have levied sweeping sanctions against Russia in response to its attacks. While President Joe Biden has said the U.S. won't be sending its military forces to assist Ukraine, the House of Representatives is set to vote Tuesday on a nearly $40 billion bill to deliver aid to Ukraine.

The Suns will be debuting the decal honoring Griner during Tuesday's Game 5 against the Dallas Mavericks. The Western Conference Semifinal series is tied 2-2.

In the wake of Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul's family being harassed by Dallas Mavericks fans on Sunday, Phoenix head coach Monty Williams suggested that a potential solution could be the NBA implementing a special section in the stands for players' families.

"The situations are getting to a place now where I really feel like families, who are there to support their loved ones, need to be protected a bit more," Williams said at Monday's practice. "Whether or not we have to give these people a section, a suite, something has to be done. Because we can't wait for it to get to a level or two higher, before we do what we need to do. Yesterday was unnecessary."

During Sunday's Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, an incident occurred in which a pair of fans were removed from the game after making physical contact with Paul's mother, Robin, and his wife, Jada. They were seated near the Suns bench along with Paul's children, who witnessed the situation and "felt very unsafe."

A statement released by the Mavericks stated that an investigation concluded that the fans "attempted to give unwanted hugs and have conversations" with members of Paul's family. The two fans have been banned from American Airlines Center until 2023.

Statement from the Dallas Mavericks on the incident involving Chris Paul’s family and fans. Two fans, who gave unwanted hugs to Paul’s family, will be banned from American Airlines Center until 2023: pic.twitter.com/tDTVcD36uU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 9, 2022

Paul didn't speak to the media after Monday's practice. Phoenix forward Cam Johnson said he feels that the fans have to do better at controlling themselves and it can't solely be up to security guards to have to police them constantly.

"A large part of the responsibility has to be on fans," Johnson said. "They just can't act that way. There's no other way around it. You've got to address the problem with the real problem. It's that a fan can't go up to someone's mother and harass them."

The Suns lost Sunday's game 111-101 to fall into a 2-2 tie in the Western Conference Semifinals. Phoenix will look to bounce back on Tuesday when it hosts Game 5.

The Dallas Mavericks released a statement after fans allegedly harassed Phoenix Suns guard Chris Paul's family during Sunday's game at American Airlines Center.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium shared the statement which explained the two "unruly" fans are banned from the arena until 2023 because they "attempted to give unwanted hugs and have conversations with members of the Paul family."

Statement from the Dallas Mavericks on the incident involving Chris Paul’s family and fans. Two fans, who gave unwanted hugs to Paul’s family, will be banned from American Airlines Center until 2023: pic.twitter.com/tDTVcD36uU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 9, 2022

The incident first made national headlines when Paul tweeted after the game: "Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families… .f--k that!!"

ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported several of the point guard's family members were "harassed and physically contacted," which left them feeling "very unsafe."

According to McMenamin's report, a fan physically contacted Paul's mother, Robin, and someone pushed his wife, Jada. Someone also reportedly followed Jada up the aisle when she left her seat that was located behind the Suns' bench.

The Mavericks released a statement following Paul's tweet that said: "The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul. It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today's game."

It's not the first incident in this series to turn heads, as Dallas star Luka Doncic was held back from a spectator in Phoenix:       

Luka had to be held back after getting into with a Suns fan 👀 https://t.co/8hS36zR7KC

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 5, 2022

Paul's family were subject to the unwanted contact during Game 4, which the Mavericks won 111-101 to even the series at two apiece. The future Hall of Famer played just 23 minutes before he fouled out with five points, seven assists and five rebounds.

He also struggled in the Mavericks' Game 3 win with seven turnovers.

The home team has won every game in this series to this point, and it returns to Phoenix's Footprint Center for a critical Game 5 on Tuesday.      

Chris Paul has made a career out of taking over games in crunch time, but that's pretty hard to do from the bench.

That's exactly where Paul was for most of the fourth quarter and extended stretches of Sunday's Game 4 in the Phoenix Suns' Western Conference Semifinal series against the Dallas Mavericks. The future Hall of Famer picked up four fouls in the first half alone and fouled out with approximately nine minutes remaining, which cleared the way for Dallas to clinch the 111-101 victory.

It was not lost on social media that Luka Doncic and other members of the Mavericks were using some of the same embellishment tactics that Paul has throughout his career, and the officials were also not immune to criticism:

How refs doing CP3 in the playoffs pic.twitter.com/OQh81v6wGv

— Josiah Johnson (@KingJosiah54) May 8, 2022

If I’m Chris Paul, I’m placing a check on the table before I start my postgame press conference and I’m going IN on this officiating. That last call was flat-out terrible.

— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) May 8, 2022

I know the feeling. Wish I could’ve gotten a couple fouls back among others things. Foul trouble make you feel helpless. Can’t even compete the same. . This series has potential to go 7

— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) May 8, 2022

When Luka decides to work the refs against CP pic.twitter.com/I9UAh3H0Hc

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) May 8, 2022

Did Luka... just out Chris Paul Chris Paul?

— Kirk Henderson (@KirkSeriousFace) May 8, 2022

Luka when he feels the slightest of contact pic.twitter.com/IA2LulNXxF

— StatMuse (@statmuse) May 8, 2022

As Luka just showed with these refs: Fall you get a call. No way in hell that contact from CP3 was enough to knock down a guy that much bigger than him. But NBA refs continue to incentivize this practice➡️ 🗑️

— J. Michael (@ThisIsJMichael) May 8, 2022

Drawing fouls, I get it play the game and if they call it then do it. But it's just hard to watch.

— Coach Gibson Pyper (@HalfCourtHoops) May 8, 2022

Just one time in this game I would like to see somebody take literally any contact and not fall down.

— Yaya Dubin (@JADubin5) May 8, 2022

Luka is my guy, but he’s flopping like a fish outta water. This is ridiculous. #NBAPlayoffs #SunsVsMavs

— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) May 8, 2022

This is embarrassing for the league

— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) May 8, 2022

The foul that was just called on McGee is something else I’d like to see removed from the game. McGee was in great position, Brunson just fell. Why is falling always rewarded?

— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) May 8, 2022

That may be the most egregious high leverage bad call I’ve seen in my life.

— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) May 8, 2022

Too often we’ve said the refs have been awful this playoff season

— Ku (@KuKhahil) May 8, 2022

The series is now tied at two games apiece, although it wasn't only because of the whistles.

Doncic stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points, 11 assists, seven rebounds and four steals, while Dorian Finney-Smith provided critical secondary support with 24 points and eight boards behind 8-of-12 shooting from deep.

That Doncic received help from Finney-Smith, Jalen Brunson and even Davis Bertans was key because the Mavericks lost the first two games on the road when he averaged 40 points a night and then turned things around at home with the supporting cast playing at a higher level.

Whether that supporting cast continues to play well as the series shifts back to Phoenix for Tuesday's Game 5 could determine who advances to the Western Conference Finals.

The Phoenix Suns aren't taking their 103-94 Game 3 loss to the Dallas Mavericks lightly.

Speaking with reporters after Saturday's practice, Suns head coach Monty Williams noted there was "pretty thick" tension among his players, who were still upset about Friday's loss, and that's just how he likes it.

"We like guys that have a level of chippiness, we love guys that are competitive, we love the tension in our gym after we lose a game," Williams said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "And it was pretty thick today, which is what I like."

While many teams try to forget about a tough loss quickly, Williams added that focusing on defeat allows his players to regroup for the game ahead:

When you're a sore loser, you're a sore loser. That's just the way it is. I don't see anybody in the playoffs that's like, 'Man, I just love the way we lost today.' I just don't see that. ... You hate losing and you bring it to the gym the next day. Your food doesn't taste as good, there's an attitude with it. But it also has to be channeled the right way.

The Suns certainly struggled, by their standards, on Friday night. No one reached the 20-point mark, with Jae Crowder's 19 points coming the closest. Stars Devin Booker and Chris Paul finished with 18 points and 12 points, respectively.

For comparison, Booker entered averaging 24.4 points per game in the playoffs, while Paul was averaging 22.6 points per game.

A Game 4 win would put the Suns one step closer to punching their ticket to the Western Conference Finals for the second straight season when they return home for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Suns veteran Mikal Bridges told reporters the team has tried to avoid losing two straight games all season, and that's not going to change when it takes the floor Sunday:

We all like to win. Nobody likes to lose. It’s every single person in this gym. We try not to lose two in a row ever whether it’s the regular season or playoffs. Just that feeling after losing, it doesn’t feel right. We all take it personal just in a way where we don’t like that feeling and just go out there and try to get a win the next game.

The Suns have only lost back-to-back games four times this season, the most recent being on April 1 against the Memphis Grizzlies and April 3 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Considering the team has been good at bouncing back all year, there's no reason to believe it won't do so in Game 4 against the Mavericks. 

The NBA announced that it has fined the Phoenix Suns $25,000 for a violation of injury reporting rules regarding shooting guard Devin Booker:

The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/LyCYd1yLV8

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 30, 2022

Booker suffered a Grade 1 right hamstring strain in Game 2 of the Suns' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Per ESPN, early projections had him missing two to three weeks, but he returned nine days later for Game 6.

The NBA said the Suns "failed" to reveal Booker's status "in an accurate and timely manner" prior to the matchup, hence the fine.

The Suns won the series four games to two.

As Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic noted, the Suns officially ruled Booker out with the hamstring strain within 24 hours of Game 6 starting on Thursday.

Rankin posted an image of the 7:30 p.m. ET Wednesday injury report that listed Booker as out.

For the curious:

It can be confusing, frustrating, entertaining or whatever word you want to use about how injuries are reported.

We've all used sources, including myself. Those interested as this relates to Devin Booker's status, check out fine print, times and report. #Suns pic.twitter.com/1iOPswnCrj

— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 28, 2022

The issue is with this part:

NBA teams must report information concerning player injuries, illnesses and rest for all NBA games. By 5 p.m. local time on the day before a game (other than the second day of a back-to-back), teams must designate a participation status and identify a specific injury, illness or potential instance of a healthy player resting for any player whose participation in the game may be affected by such injury, illness or rest.

There was an inkling that Booker could return for Game 6 on Wednesday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported some hopeful news:

ESPN Sources: Phoenix Suns All-Star G Devin Booker (hamstring strain) is progressing toward a return soon, including the possibility as soon as Game 6 or Game 7 of this playoff series vs. New Orleans. He’s expected to be initially listed as out for Thursday’s Game 6.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 27, 2022

Booker was ruled out, but the Suns later announced that the star shooting guard was upgraded to questionable two hours before the game.

Ninety minutes before game time, Suns head coach Monty Williams told reporters that Booker would play.

Booker ended up posting 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes to help the Suns win 115-109. They'll open their second-round series against the Dallas Mavericks at home on Monday.

Phoenix Suns point guard Chris Paul reportedly kept his teammates in line in a unique way during the Suns' first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans.

During Friday's episode of Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective, ESPN's Windhorst said Paul instituted a curfew for his teammates during road games in New Orleans.

Windhorst noted that the edict came directly from CP3 and not the coaching staff, and it called for players to be back at the hotel by a certain time.

While Windhorst is unsure what time the curfew was set for, Paul reportedly had hotel rooms set up for him and his teammates to watch other NBA playoff games and play cards.

The team apparently responded well to the curfew, as the Suns won the series 4-2 after splitting the first two games at home. Phoenix closed out New Orleans with a 115-109 win Thursday night.

The 36-year-old Paul was the driving force behind Phoenix's series-clinching win, finishing with 33 points on 14-of-14 shooting, along with eight assists and five rebounds.

Paul is among the greatest point guards in NBA history and is a sure-fire future Hall of Famer by virtue of his 12 All-Star nods, 10 All-NBA selections, nine NBA All-Defensive honors, six steals titles, four assist titles and 2005-06 NBA Rookie of the Year honors.

He also ranks third on the NBA's all-time assists list with 10,977 and fourth all-time in steals with 2,453.

Perhaps the only major accomplishment missing from Paul's resume is an NBA championship, which he came agonizingly close to winning last year.

Phoenix held a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in last season's NBA Finals, only for Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks to storm back and win four in a row for the title.

Paul and the Suns played like a team on a mission during the 2021-22 regular season, going 64-18, which was the best record in the NBA by eight games.

The Suns faced and overcame some adversity during the first round of this season's playoffs by playing without Devin Booker for three games because of a hamstring injury, but he returned for Game 6 and should be good to go in the second round.

With Paul making sure his team is locked in, the Suns should be well-prepared for their second-round series against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks, which begins Monday night.

Put some respect on Chris Paul's name. 

The Phoenix Suns' superstar went full Point God on Thursday night in his team's Game 6 115-109 series-clinching win over the New Orleans Pelicans. He finished a perfect 14-for-14 from the field and scored 33 points to go along with eight assists.

He recorded 23 points alone in the second half and made history in the process:

CHRIS PAUL'S 14TH CONSECUTIVE MAKE PUTS THE @SUNS UP 5 ON TNT 🚨 pic.twitter.com/WK1iBbv7FL

— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2022

🚨 CHRIS PAUL IS 12-12 IN GAME 6 🚨@Suns 99@PelicansNBA 100#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel on TNT pic.twitter.com/Z41ws4NoQT

— NBA (@NBA) April 29, 2022

CP3 IS ON 🔥

10/10 FG & 23 PTS ON THE NIGHT pic.twitter.com/VjLtXCFaCk

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 29, 2022

Phoenix Suns‘ Chris Paul sets NBA postseason record for most field-goals made without a miss: 14 for 14.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 29, 2022

Make no mistake about it—this was the Chris Paul game:

We've just witnessed the all-time Chris Paul Point God game. pic.twitter.com/srneRbLTOQ

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) April 29, 2022

Chris Paul pic.twitter.com/K9LwWyoA0E

— Jason Gallagher (@jga41agher) April 29, 2022

Chris Paul has entered the “I’ve had enough” portion of the evening

— Vincent Goodwill (@VinceGoodwill) April 29, 2022

https://twitter.com/RexChapman/status/1519845170723921920

THEM: chris paul can’t close out a series

CHRIS PAUL: *shoots literally 100% from the field in a close out game on the road*

— Shea Serrano (@SheaSerrano) April 29, 2022

The Pelicans pushed the Suns in both this game and series, but the Western Conference's top seed was able to close out the game on Thursday. They have Paul to thank for that. 

They needed every bucket. Devin Booker, who returned for Game 6 after missing the past two games with a hamstring injury, struggled to get into a flow throughout the game, finishing 5-of-12 from the field for 13 points. 

And the Pels hardly rolled over, as seven players hit double-digit points, led by Brandon Ingram (21 points, 11 assists, five boards). 

But Paul was the best player on the court, both in this game and in the series. He wasn't going to let it slip out of his grasp, going perfect from the field to ensure his team's victory and advancement to the next round.