New Orleans Apr 25 (U.S.): New Orleans kicked off its season 3-16. Now, the pesky Pelicans have proven to be a handful for the Phoenix Suns in the Western playoffs.
Brandon Ingram scored 16 of 30 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans beat the Suns – playing without injured star Devin Booker – 118-103 in Game Four on Sunday night to tie in the first round. Game 5 will take place Tuesday night in Phoenix, the Associated Press reports.
New Orleans coach Willie Green, who kept his young team together in a struggling midfield early in the season has now been forced into a best-selling playoff with the top-seeded Suns, said New Orleans coach Willie Green. “I just try to get out of the way and let him do whatever he wants.”
It looks like it’s swan time, Ingram says.
“We worked hard all year to become a better team,” Ingram said. “My teammates put me in the right places and made me look good.”
Jonas Valanciunas reasserted himself in the middle with 26 points and 15 rebounds, and rookie goalkeeper Herb Jones, a defensive specialist, played a fearsome defense against Chris Paul.
Paul, who had 19 points in the fourth quarter in the Suns’ two-time playoff win, hit four in 35 minutes. He had 11 assists, but made three turnovers.
It was a physical game. The Pelicans converted 32 of the 42 free throws while the Suns went to the streak only 15 times and they made 10.
“It was like the old NBA,” said Paul, who was snatched by Jones on the backcourt almost throughout the game. “I said to the referees, ‘Shall we play the old NBA in the new NBA?'” “I was fortunate enough to play in both. Regardless, whatever it is, you have to adapt early in the game and figure it out.”
Jones said he simply tried to be more aggressive against Paul and not give him room to maneuver.
“We were trying to be more restless and more physical,” Jones said. “I feel like that was a huge part of our game, especially in the playoffs. You have to play with a little more fire.”
Suns coach Monty Williams didn’t want to shy away from the Pelicans effort, but was alarmed by the uneven misses.
“42 to 15 free throws — cut it any way you want, in a physical playoff, and that’s amazing,” Williams said. “Coaches should not go up to the mic and feel like they are going to be beheaded for telling the truth. It’s not like we didn’t attack the basket. It’s really hard to do. They outperformed us and deserved to win, but that’s a free-throw disparity.”
The Suns played their second game in a row without Booker, their top scorer, who injured his right hamstring after scoring 31 first-half points in a Game 2 loss to the Suns. He is abroad indefinitely.
“We can’t worry about that,” Williams said. “The guys who were on the ground did that (they won) the other day when we played hard and we didn’t hit the ball well but we won the game. (The Pelicans) they played more aggressively.”
Dender Ayton led the Suns team with 23 points and eight rebounds, and his colleague Gaval McGee scored 14 points.
The Pelicans led 89-85 with 8:05 left and used a 12-0 ice sprint on it. Valencionas, limited by six points in a third game loss, scored 10 points in 3:34 of the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull off. His scoring spree permeated with 3 pointers from the left wing.
“We showed aggressiveness and were physically there,” Valancionas said. “(The Suns) are a physical team and their defense is good, and aligning their physical abilities is the key.”
New Orleans had a 35-23 advantage in the third quarter. Ingram was the catalyst, making 7 of 10 shots and helping in two more baskets as New Orleans led 84-74. His rant began on the possessions of the top three swans in half, with a pair of 15 feet and a throw of the ball.
The Suns used a 20-10, with Mikal Bridges breaking the New Orleans defense three times in the final eight minutes of the first half, to take a 51-49 lead at the break.
Hint INS
Suns: Paul had 28 assists and no spins in games 2 and 3, but he scored 11 assists and three turnovers on Sunday. In the first three games, the pass-to-train ratio was 38-2. … Cam Johnson got 13 points.
Pelicans: Herb Jones had three blocks – all in 3-point attempts. … The Pelicans made 46 spins in their first three games to 28 Suns, resulting in a 72-27 points difference. But New Orleans scored only seven turnovers in Game 4.