Deandre Ayton didn’t blink in addressing what has been the most-talked about subject in recent days regarding the Phoenix Suns — his locker room exchange with Devin Booker after Thursday’s 22-point loss at Portland.

"That’s just two guys that want to win, to be honest,” Ayton said after Monday's shootaround as the Suns (4-22) prepped for a game tonight against the Los Angeles Clippers (16-9) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. “We just want to be winners. We are winners. It is what it is.”

Ayton participated in Monday’s shootaround after missing Sunday’s practice because he wasn't feeling well, and is expected to start against the Clippers.

The Suns rookie 7-footer had stomach issues before the Portland game which kept him out of the starting lineup for the first time in his NBA rookie season.

“He went through shootaround feeling good,” Suns coach Igor Kokoskov said. “He’s going to start.”

This was Ayton’s first interview since his postgame comments after Thursday’s loss when he talked about being an “emotional guy” and speaking his mind.

“I start to feel stuff,” Ayton said. “When I don’t sense it and the energy is not there, that’s when you start to hear my mouth. I don’t care who it is. Nineteen-year vet or 15 years, it don’t matter. We all have a job to do and I have to step it up a little more, too.”

The No. 1 overall pick was much more reserved this morning in talking about the matter.

“It’s just us being competitors and wanting to win,” Ayton said. “That’s about it.”

Booker hasn’t done an interview since he traded words with Ayton. Since he’s injured, Booker doesn’t have to address the media. Booker is set to miss his fourth game in a row tonight because of his injured left hamstring.

Ayton will play, and once again go up against Boban Marjanovic, the Clippers’ 7-foot-3 big man who had 12 points and 12 rebounds — eight on the offensive glass — in last month’s 115-99 win over the Suns in Los Angeles.

“He’s freakishly big,” Ayton said. “That’s my first time playing against someone that can just take the ball above my head and not jump. That’s an experience of a lifetime.”

Kokoskov hopes Ayton has a better experience tonight against Marjanovic. Ayton had just four points on 1-of-4 shooting and five fouls in that last game against the Clippers

“You can’t coach size,” Kokoskov said. “Wherever he wants and stays, he stays. You can’t push him out. I’m not saying he’s Superman, but he’s a solid kid. We told (Ayton), ‘OK, now you know who he is.’ It’s a game we can’t easily switch. There’s no easy or good matchup with Boban. We want him to stay as much as he can with Boban and box him out. Other guys got to rebound.”

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