"Suck what, n***a?" - Deandre Ayton caught trashing Devin Booker after Suns superstar misses clutch FT against Trail Blazers

Phoenix Suns superstar guard Devin Booker came up short at the free-throw line late in Monday's 121-119 overtime road loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. Afterward, "leaked audio" emerged of his former teammate, Blazers center Deandre Ayton, seemingly trash-talking him.

Booker had a strong evening, tallying a game-high 34 points on 50.0% shooting. Meanwhile, he made history, surpassing Phoenix legend Walter Davis (15,666 points) to become the Suns' all-time leading scorer (15,678 points).

However, after being fouled on a 3-point attempt with Phoenix trailing 120-117 with 4.4 seconds remaining in OT, the four-time All-Star failed to come through. Booker converted his first two free throws but missed his third attempt, with Ayton corralling the rebound and staring him down.

The big man was promptly fouled and split a pair of free throws, with his teammate Jerami Grant securing an offensive board to ice the game.

Afterward, Ayton, whom the Suns traded in September 2023, passionately celebrated. In a viral clip featuring "leaked audio" from the moment released Tuesday, Ayton appears to call out Booker for doubting him.

"N***a said I suck. Suck what, n***a?" Ayton seemingly says in the video.

Ayton finished with 25 points and a game-best 20 rebounds as Portland (21-29) won its fourth consecutive game. The young squad's last two victories have come against Phoenix (25-24), which is clinging to the Western Conference's final play-in spot.

Thus, the teams are trending in opposite directions ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

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Deandre Ayton downplays his big night against Devin Booker and Co.

While many have been impressed by Deandre Ayton's recent play, the 2018 No. 1 draft pick seemingly isn't.

After dispatching Devin Booker's Suns for the second straight outing, Ayton was uninterested in discussing his dominant performance. He noted that monster double-doubles are what should be expected of him on a nightly basis.

"I tell you, I've been here, man. I've been trying to play like this. This is normal for me," Ayton said. "I've been pissed, to be honest, because you guys think I have to talk about my performance."

Following Monday's standout showing, Ayton is averaging 22.8 points and 12.8 rebounds per game over his last five outings. So, the much-maligned big man's stock arrow appears to be pointing up midway through his seventh campaign.

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