PHOENIX – – Cameron Payne entered the lane with a minute to play and launched a small jumper towards the edge. Detroit’s Marvin Bagley III immediately returned the shot to Payne’s face.
Undeterred, the Phoenix point guard grabbed the loose ball and came back up with his shot. This time he connected, helping the Suns hang on for a 108-102 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
“It’s okay, he got a block,” Payne said. “Next game.”
Deandre Ayton scored a season-high 28 points and 12 rebounds, Devin Booker added 21 points, and the Suns remained top of the Western Conference with their third straight win.
Payne’s shot that was blocked and then the backhand was a microcosm of the Suns’ night. They weren’t at the top of their game offensively – shooting just 7 of 29 (24.1%) from 3-point range – but showed grit and perseverance to go 10-1 on their home turf this season .
“Although we didn’t make the shots we wanted, the defensive intensity was still there,” Ayton said. “That’s what really put us in a position to win the game.”
The Suns led 84-79 going into the fourth quarter. They pushed it to 94-85 midway through the fourth, but the fiery Pistons scored the next eight points.
Ayton’s snap back on Booker’s missed layup gave the Suns a 102-97 advantage with 1:34 left. Ayton shot 11 of 13 from the field and 6 of 7 on free throws.
“He did a really good job on the screens tonight and it opened some hoops for him,” Payne said of Ayton. “Sometimes that’s how it goes. You sacrifice your body and you get the reward.”
Payne added 16 points and 10 assists.
Bojan Bogdanovic had 19 points for Detroit and Killian Hayes added 17.
“I think we just had a few mishaps late in the game,” said Pistons goalkeeper Hamidou Diallo, who scored 10 points off the bench. “A few missed assignments and a few missed readings and it cost us later.”
The Pistons entered the game with the worst record in the Eastern Conference, but had won back-to-back games at Denver, Utah.
Detroit played well again on Friday, taking a 54-53 halftime lead. Bogdanovic led the Pistons with 15 points in the first half while Booker had 13 for the Suns. Phoenix shot just 3 of 17 (16.7%) from 3-point range before the break.
BOGDANOVIC’S INJURY
Bogdanovic fell to the ground with about 25 seconds left in the game, clutching his right knee after Phoenix’s Torrey Craig stepped on his foot.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey was furious that a foul had not been called, continuing to argue with officials even as the game ended. When Bogdanovic was on the ground, Suns forward Mikal Bridges grabbed the loose ball and swung to push Phoenix’s lead to six points.
“The player stepped on his foot, bent his knee,” Casey said. “They’re looking at it now. Big play, big play. Someone has to see this play in this situation. The man tears his knee and loses the ball in a close game.
Bogdanovic said the injury was not as serious as he initially feared.
“He stepped on my ankle and then the knee went inside, but it’s not bad,” Bogdanovic said. “I thought it was worse. I’ll see how it feels tomorrow.
TIPS
Pistons: G Jaden Ivey (right knee pain), G Cory Joseph (non-COVID illness) and G/F Saddiq Bey (right ankle sprain) were inactive. … The Detroit bench had a 38-26 advantage in scoring. … The Pistons lost their fourth straight game to the Suns. The series between the teams is 71-71.
Suns: G Chris Paul (right heel pain) missed his seventh straight game. … G Landry Shamet (concussion) hopes to return soon, possibly as early as Saturday’s game against the Jazz. … Made just 1 of their first 15 3-point attempts. … Bridges missed his first nine shots before making a 3-pointer early in the third quarter. … hosted its 37th consecutive sold-out crowd.
NEXT
Pistons: Host Cleveland on Sunday night.
Suns: Host Utah Saturday night.
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