The Phoenix Suns picked up a massive win on Monday night, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks 108-106 to maintain their position as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.
The stars shined for each team, as Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 31 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a steal while Kevin Durant recorded 38 points, eight rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
Alongside Durant's remarkable performance, though, the Suns received strong contributions from rookie forward Ryan Dunn. In 30 minutes on the court, Dunn went 5-of-7 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds.
One of Dunn's biggest shots came with less than six minutes left in the game, as the Virginia product knocked down a 3-pointer that extended the Suns' lead. Dunn's 30 minutes on the court were the third-most of any Phoenix player on Monday night, behind Durant and Devin Booker.
This season, Dunn is averaging 6.5 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 43.9% from the field and 31.2% from beyond the arc. Dunn has started 34 games for the Suns and appeared in 64 contests in his rookie year, averaging 18 minutes on the floor.
Dunn was selected by the Phoenix with the No. 28 overall pick in the 2024 draft after a strong college career at Virginia. As a sophomore, Dunn earned ACC All-Defense honors, averaging 8.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
Coming out of college, Dunn didn't have a very polished skill set on offense, which contributed to the talented defender's slide down the draft boards. Still, Dunn's defense was strong enough to earn him a spot in the first round, and the Suns have managed to find a role for the rookie forward late in the season.
Monday's win against the Bucks was important for the Suns, who now have the same record as the Dallas Mavericks at 35-37. Phoenix is narrowly holding off Dallas for the No. 10 seed and final spot in the postseason.
The Mavericks won on Monday night as well, and saw Anthony Davis return to the lineup, meaning the team could make a late-season push to reach the Play-In. The threat of Dallas challenging the Suns for the West's final postseason spot makes Phoenix's win against the Bucks, and Dunn's performance, even more meaningful.
Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.