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Con Mikal Bridges leading a remarkable performance by his supporting cast, the Phoenix Suns they sweated until the end but ended up winning 112-97 the fifth match at New Orleans Pelicans from Willy Hernangmez to go up 3-2 in this first-round West series.
Without Devin Booker due to injury and with an improved Chris Paul but whose physical overload is beginning to show, Bridges took a big step forward with his best game in the NBA: 31 points (12 of 17 shooting, 4 of 4 triples), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 4 blocks in a game in which he played 47 of the 48 minutes.
In addition to Bridges, the Suns had the valuable contributions of Chris Paul (22 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists) and Deandre Ayton (19 points and 9 rebounds).
Briges’ phenomenal effort did not prevent the Suns (first in the West) from having to work until the last minutes against the Pelicans (eighth) who have proven to be a very tough nut to crack.
Brandon Ingram, who had some problems with his elbow and little finger in the fourth quarter, was the best of the Pelicans (22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists) along with CJ McCollum (21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists) and Jonas Valanciunas (17 points and 14 rebounds).
The Spanish Willy Hernangmez did not have minutes in the Pelicans.
The visitors weighed heavily on their bad night in the lead (40% field goals, 20% triples).
The tie now returns to New Orleans, where the sixth game will be played on Thursday.
The change of attitude of the Suns to beat the Pelicans
After a fourth game in which the Pelicans showed greater appetite and energy, the Suns took the court today in clear need of a change in attitude.
They embroidered it in a first quarter (32-20) in which they forced 6 turnovers from the Pelicans and in which Paul (8 points) led a very oiled attack with Ayton (8 points) and Payne (7 points).
Two blocks in a row by Bridges early in the second quarter made it clear to the Pelicans that these Suns weren’t going to skimp on their aggressiveness, even if that soon got them into foul trouble.
Still, New Orleans put its pieces back together, Alvarado upped the defensive intensity, and Ingram, all alone in the first quarter, saw McCollum begin to score easily.
The improvement of the Pelicans did not prevent, however, that they went behind to the locker room (59-46) after a first half of much sacrifice in the Suns.
The restart brought very bad news for the Phoenix crowd, who watched with twisted faces as Crowder and Payne each picked up their fifth foul in the third quarter.
The Suns’ defensive structure was threatening to collapse, but then Bridges stepped in to give them a break on offense.
With 11 points in that third quarter, Bridges took over from Paul and Ayton and nullified the 10 points of a Valanciunas who did what he wanted in the zone for the Pelicans (89-78).
The Suns seemed to have controlled the game but they had not sentenced it, something very dangerous against scoring bombs like Ingran or McCollum.
However, the two figures of the Pelicans only scored 5 points between them in the fourth quarter while they saw the consecration of the most lethal shooter of the night, a superb Bridges also in the last quarter with 13 points and with two dunks in the outcome clinched a must-win for the Suns.
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