Today, the NBA playoffs continue, with the Phoenix Suns taking on the New Orleans Pelicans.
In their first meeting, the Suns easily beat the Pelicans 110-99 to get the franchise opener. But the NBA series, in fact, the suspense is quite large, because the actual level gap between the teams is not as large as imagined, and the stars of the weak team suddenly break out, or can lead the team to turn over.
Today's Suns were turned over by the Pelicans, and they played very anxiously throughout the game, and Booker contributed 31 points in the first half. Veteran Paul scored 17 points and 14 assists in the game, and Bridges also scored 19 points. Logically, if you play like this, you should not lose.
But in the second half, the situation suddenly changed. Booker accidentally strained his hamstring and had to withdraw early, leaving the Suns with only Paul to brace himself. At this point, the Pelicans' Ingram erupted, transforming into an all-round warrior, and bombarded a quasi-triple-double with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists.
McCollum also scored 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists, all-round. Led by Ingram and McCollum, the Pelicans kept clinging to the score, coming back in the final quarter and pocketing the victory. At 125-114, the Pelicans reversed the victory over the Suns to grab home advantage in this series and tie the total score to a 1-1 draw.
Next, the game is going to Go to New Orleans, and the Suns are likely to be missing Booker. In the regular season, the Suns can still relax their minds, but every game in the playoffs is critical, and they may not dare to easily send role players. As a result, the Suns may really have to go through a tough time.