Blazers pick up first win; Hield, Suns fall
- Sheldon Longley
- Nov 1, 2023
- 0
DeAndre Ayton’s scoring numbers might be down a bit this year, but he is still a monster on the boards, pulling down rebounds at a record pace.
The Bahamian recorded a new career-high in rebounds on Monday, pulling down 23 rebounds to help his new team, the Portland Trail Blazers, secure their first win in the National Basketball Association (NBA) this season
For the season, the Bahamian is averaging 8.8 points and 14.8 rebounds per game – the first season of his six-year career that he is not averaging double digits in scoring. His 14.8 rebounds is 3.3 rebounds per game more than his previous season-high for averages and is second in the league this season behind Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings. Sabonis is averaging 15 rebounds per game this season.
Ayton had 15 of his 23 rebounds in the second half, when Portland outscored Toronto, 52-41. He finished with seven offensive boards.
“His presence was felt everywhere on the floor tonight,” said Trail Blazers’ Head Coach Chauncey Billups of Ayton after the game. “Those are some of the things that we’re going to expect to be getting from him,” he added.
Ayton’s previous rebounding mark was 21, set three times. He last reached it November 26, 2022, against the Utah Jazz – also the last time he recorded a 20-20 game in the NBA, which he has done three times.
Overall, his performance on Monday represented the fifth 20-rebound game of his career. He had 20 against the Dallas Mavericks in January this year, and 21 on three other occasions, before increasing his career-high to 23 on Monday.
Ayton’s playoff career-high for
rebounds is 22, done against the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2021 NBA’s Western Conference Finals. He had 19 points and 22 rebounds in an 84-80 win for the Phoenix Suns over the Clippers, giving them a 3-2 in the best-of-seven series. The Suns went on to lose to the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals that year.https://f209dd661264620902e033cbea650799.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html
Ayton and the Blazers stay on the road and face the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, tonight. That game tips off at 7 p.m.
The other Bahamian in action in the NBA on Monday night was Chavano ‘Buddy’ Hield as he and the Indiana Pacers hosted the Chicago Bulls at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. Hield scored 11 points and added five rebounds and four assists off the bench, but the Pacers lost, 112-105, suffering their first loss of the season. They now have a 2-1 record.
In the game, Hield shot 4-for-12 (33.3 percent) from the field and was 3-for-8 (37.5 percent) from distance. He buried at least one three-point shot for the 36th straight regular season game, dating back to last season, and matching the third-longest streak of his career.
For the season, Hield is averaging 11.7 points per game on 39.4 percent shooting from the field and 40.9 percent shooting from three-point range.
Hield and the Pacers will face the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, tonight. That game will tip off at 7:30 p.m.