Phoenix, April 27 (BUS): Michael Bridges scored 31 points in a great game, Chris Paul added 22 points and 11 assists, and the Phoenix Suns beat the New Orleans Pelicans 112-97 on Tuesday night to win. Advance 3-2 in the Western Conference first-round series.
The Suns were never late but didn’t fully pull back until the last few minutes against the feisty Pelicans. Once again, Phoenix has found a way to lock in, improving to 50-0 this season when he’s up after three quarters, including 3-0 in the series, the AP reports.
Bridges finished off the Suns’ scoring with two confirming goals in the last minute, capping the best game of his professional career.
Brandon Ingram scored 22 points to lead the Pelicans. CJ McCollum added 21.
The Suns lead 89-78 last quarter after Cameron Payne’s 3-pointer trailed. The Pelicans – only 36-46 during the regular season – pulled a seven-point lead with less than two minutes to go, but Cameron Johnson threw a one-handed strike in the fast-breaking break that followed to keep the Suns in control.
Phoenix will attempt to clinch the series at Game 6 on Thursday in New Orleans. If the first five games are any indication, it won’t be easy.
Paul bounced back from a sub-4 game and Bridges showed why he was one of three to reach the finals for the best defensive player in the league, stopping four shots.
It was also an ironclad performance for Bridges, who played 47 of a possible 48 minutes but never looked tired. He made 12 of 17 shots from the field, took five rebounds and stole twice.
Phoenix played his third game in a row without All-Star guard Devin Booker, who was still struggling with a right hamstring injury that occurred in Game 2.
The Suns jumped to a 2-20 lead by the end of the first quarter. They looked very much like the team that led the NBA with 64 wins during the regular season, playing tough defense and making extra passes to attack for open shots.
Phoenix advanced by up to 17 during the second quarter before settling with a 59-46 advantage. Paul had 16 points before the break while Eaton added 13. Ingram scored 13 points for the Pelicans.
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Suns coach Monty Williams has been fined $15,000 for publicly criticizing management in Game 4 of the first round of the playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans, the National Basketball Association announced before the game. The Pelicans had a 42-15 advantage on foul shots during Game Four, which the Suns lost.
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Pelicans: Jose Alvarado was again tough on defense, forcing an eight-second call-up in the fourth quarter against Paul, who couldn’t get the ball out of the backcourt.
Suns: Booker has been working at the team’s training facility, but it’s still unclear when he’ll be able to return. …Paine gave Sun a boost with seven points in the first quarter. He averaged just 4.8 points over the first four games of the series. … Phoenix was only 1 out of 9 out of a 3-point range before closing out the first half with a 4-of-6 hit.