On April 18, Beijing time, the Suns defeated the Pelicans 110-99 at home, rewriting the total score to 1-0. Paul had 30 points, 7 rebounds and 10 assists, scoring 19 points in the final quarter! Booker had 25 points and eight assists, and Ayton had 21 points, nine rebounds and four blocks, blocking a new career record for his playoffs. The Suns led by as many as 23 points, the Pelicans narrowed the gap to single digits at one point, and Paul led the Suns to withstand the pressure in the final quarter, widen the point gap again, and win. The Pelicans' Valanciunas grabbed 25 rebounds, a playoff career high.
Statistics
Pelicans: McCollum 25 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Ingram 18 points, Valanciunas 18 points and 25 rebounds, Nance Jr. 14 points and 6 rebounds
Suns: Paul 30 points, 7 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals, Booker 25 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists, Ayton 21 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks, Johnson 13 points
Star of the Field: Paul
Paul played well, especially scoring 19 points in the final quarter to give the Suns their first playoff win of the year.
Game tidbits
It's too hard! Bridges jumped to save the ball in the second quarter, and the players on the bench rushed up to help him!
Lead the Grizzlies in 8 games! US media review history: the sun triggers the law of winning the championship?
The Suns (64 wins) in the 2021-22 season won eight more games than the second-placed Grizzlies (56 games). The US media recalled the previous 4 similar situations in history, and the team finally won the championship. They were the Celtics in 1983-84, the Bulls in 1991-92, the Bulls in 1995-96 and the Lakers in 1999-00.
Zion's side laugh scene attracted heated discussion! He was wearing a big gold cake today again
Highlight moments
Booker's bottom corner three-point shot!
Booker threw the ball and McGee slammed the ball!
Johnson single-handedly picks up the chop!
Ayton hit a three-pointer! It was also the first three-pointer of his playoff career.
Before half-time, Paul broke through the layup and almost hit the whistle!
Ingram one-handed split!
Paul's hand was hot in the last quarter, and he hit a crucial three-pointer!
Game review
In the first quarter, Booker hit a three-point shot, Varan and Ayton threw and scored, Booker scored 5 points in a row, Ayton received a dunk in the air, and the Suns made a 17-6 start. Ingram hit 2+1, Jones hit three-pointers, McGee and Johnson sent dunks in each pass, Booker scored from mid-range, and McCollum hit three-pointers. In the first quarter, the Suns led the Pelicans 28-16. Booker scored 10 points in a single quarter.
In the second quarter, McCollum threw a score, Paul hit a three-pointer, Ayton hit consecutive hits, Johnson hit a three-pointer, and the Suns went on a 14-3 run to stretch the gap to 21 points. Varan scored on a layup, Ingram scored five points in a row and the Pelicans returned with a 7-0 run. Bridges scored on a layup, Ayton hit a three-pointer and Alvarado hit a three-pointer. Paul broke through on a layup and hit a half-time end to give the Suns a 53-34 lead over the Pelicans.
In the first half, the Pelicans' Ingram had 12 points, McCollum had eight points and five rebounds, and Valanciunas had eight points and 15 rebounds. The Suns' Booker had 12 points and six assists, Paul had 7 points, seven rebounds and five assists, Ayton had 13 points and five rebounds, and Johnson had 10 points.
Easy side to fight again, Hayes played 2+1, Ayton scored on a layup, Paul scored in the middle, Ingram, Jones sent a dunk. Booker scored six straight points, Varan scored 2+1, Paul hit a shot, and the Suns still led by 22 points! Ingram scored from mid-range, McCollum and Murphy hit three-pointers, and Booker scored seven straight points. Marshall scored two goals in a row, Nance Jr. scored six points in a row, and the Pelicans blasted a 16-2 wave to narrow the point gap to seven points. Johnson made a 2+1 layup to break the Suns' scoring drought and Nance Jr. steals to score. At the end of the third quarter, the Suns led the Pelicans 79-71.
In the final quarter, McCollum scored seven straight points and Paul scored five straight points. McGee scored with a dunk, and Nance Jr. hit a three-pointer and sent a dunk. Paul exploded, hitting three consecutive three-pointers and scoring 12 straight points! Ayton delivered his fifth block, setting a new playoff high. Bridges hit a mid-range shot and Ayton scored on a layup to give the Suns an 18-point lead. Bridges was dissatisfied with the penalty and received the technician. Varan scored five straight points, Booker hit two free throws, Murphy hit a three-pointer, and Varan scored again, narrowing the gap to nine points. Paul threw the shot, and the victory or defeat lost suspense. In the end, the Suns beat the Pelicans at home to usher in a playoff start.
Both sides started
Pelicans: McCollum, Jones, Ingram, Hayes, Valanciunas
Suns: Paul, Booker, Bridges, Claude, Ayton