Monty Williams, Deandre Ayton Speak on Game 7 Loss to Mavericks
It's been two months since the Phoenix Suns last took the court, losing in 123-90 fashion against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 7 of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs.
The loss was disappointing for a number of reasons, especially considering the Suns jumped out to a 2-0 series lead after having the best regular season record in the NBA.
Phoenix found themselves down by as much as 43 points in the second half, which resulted in humiliation all around.
Yet things turned even more sour when center Deandre Ayton was reportedly benched by coach Monty Williams in the third quarter, as the Suns' No. 1 pick didn't play majority of the second half.
Reports and rumors filled the air about tension between the two, with Ayton supposedly saying "I can't pass the ball to myself" on the sidelines. After the game, Williams simply answered "It's internal" and left many wondering if we just witnessed the last time Ayton would wear a Suns uniform.
Fast forward to present day, where the ink is still fresh from Ayton re-signing with Phoenix, and all parties are happy to run it back once more.
In a phone interview with ESPN's Andscape, Williams and Ayton individually addressed what happened in Phoenix's season finale at home.
Monty Williams, Deandre Ayton Speak on Game 7 Loss to Mavericks
Monty Williams
"I didn't feel like I had to say anything. I was just doing my job," Williams said. "We had a bad day, but we had an unbelievable season. Unfortunately, in sports and even in society, we focus on the one bad thing. It hurt like crazy, and it still hurts. It was embarrassing to play that way, but as the dust settles and I look at the season from a holistic perspective, I look at all the good stuff that happened.
"This team is a new standard in Suns basketball and it's part of a process. The one thing I understand is when I first got there, the team wasn't winning many games and so nobody was talking about anything that was going on. And there was stuff going on because it's a team and you're dealing with people. Now that you're winning and having some success, things are talked about, and that's a good thing in my opinion. You may not like what everybody talking about, but nonetheless, we're a team that has expectations and so it just goes with the territory."
Deandre Ayton
"Game 7 was an anomaly. We let that get away from us as a team. That is all in the past. We're going to look forward. We are going to move on," said Ayton, who also described his relationship with Williams "calm" and said the two are on good terms according to Andscape.
Thank you for making Inside The Suns your destination for Phoenix Suns news. Please be sure to give us a like on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @InsideTheSunsSI for more news, updates, analysis and more!
Top Phoenix Suns News
Goran Dragic Shares Robert Sarver Story
Suns Officially Announce Deandre Ayton Re-Signed
Phoenix Ranks in Top Ten of B/R Starting Lineups for Next Season
Suns Add Bojan Bogdanovic in Mock Trade
Nets Still Seeking Kevin Durant Trade; Suns Among Teams Waiting
Suns, Ayton Both Winners in Matched Offer Sheet
Steph Curry Shows Love to Damion Lee on Twitter
