The gap between anyone catching the Phoenix Suns for the fourth spot in the Western Conference widened on Tuesday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Phoenix was able to set an early and impactful tone on the San Antonio Spurs. As a result, the Suns created a deficit that the Spurs could never truly overcome.
Phoenix improved to a six-game winning streak, beating San Antonio 115-94.
Deandre Ayton Goes for Another Double-Double
Ayton took pleasure in feasting on the Spurs on Tuesday. He finished the first half with 11 points and five rebounds.
The seven-footer has averaged 24 points and nine rebounds in his last two meetings with the Spurs.
He was able to continue that dominance, finishing the contest with 19 points and 11 rebounds. He also shot 7-of-7 from the free-throw line. Ayton is only averaging 2.9 attempts from the line for the season.
Suns Outrebound the Spurs
Though it wasn’t the primary reason for the commanding lead, the Suns made sure to clean up the glass throughout the contest.
Phoenix outrebounded San Antonio 57-38 on Tuesday.
Deandre Ayton led the way in that department, grabbing 11 rebounds on the night. He also had four offensive rebounds for the night.
The bench combined for 31 rebounds against the Spurs as well. Torrey Craig was the main force for the reserves with 10 rebounds.
Craig Leads the Bench
The Spurs had moments were they were able to cut down the lead. Even as it appeared without the Suns starters, Craig was able to arrive from the reserves.
Craig put up 15 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists. He was a plus-28 for the game as well.
Craig was able to scored 10 of those points in the second half, helping keep the Suns lead up to par. Over the last span of games, Phoenix has been able to deploy a bench that has multiple players capable of scoring 20 points.
Having that type of flexibility ahead of the postseason will be a huge upside.
The Suns have three games remaining in the season, starting with the Denver Nuggets on Thursday.
