Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton wasn't in the starting lineup against the Oklahoma City Thunder after the former Arizona Wildcat missed his COVID-19 testing window.ย
Since the results of Ayton's Monday morning test weren't cleared in time, Ayton missed the first quarter in Phoenix's 128-101 beatdown of the Thunder. Ayton played 17 minutes off the bench and finished with 10 points on 5 of 10 shooting and six rebounds.ย
Phoenix has been one of the surprising teams in the NBA's Orlando bubble, winning all six of its games, including a buzzer-beater victory over the L.A. Clippers. In Phoenix's previous five contests, Ayton averaged 18.2 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.ย
The Suns are a half-game behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the ninth-seed, which would participate in a play-in series for the final playoff spot in the western conference.ย
Phoenix will now face the Ben Simmons- and Joel Embiid-less Philadelphia 76ers at 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday.ย
