On April 25, Beijing time, the 2021-22 NBA playoffs were in full swing. In today's Western Focus game, the Suns took on the Pelicans on the road, the fourth leg of the series between the two sides. In the first 3 games, the Suns took a 2-1 lead!
In today's game, Booker played an injury suspension, and Paul led the Suns into battle. In the first quarter, Paul did not shoot many shots, hitting a mid-range shot and then a basket shot, and had 4 points, 1 assist and 1 steal in 7 minutes. In the 2nd quarter, Paul only had one three-point shot at the end of the quarter, and unfortunately didn't hit it. Instead of scoring in the second quarter, he chose more to assist his teammates, delivering as many as five assists in a single quarter. Under his leadership, the Suns nibbled into the point gap to end the first half with a 51-49 lead over the Pelicans, with Paul scoring 4 points and 6 assists on 2-of-3 shooting. In a fight for the ball, Paul and Alvarado had a slight physical contact, and the two sides quarreled, and Paul tried to talk to each other and was refused by a wave of hands.
After entering the third quarter, Paul and the Suns as a whole struggled, and Paul deflected all three shots in 7 minutes, delivering only one assist. In one offensive round, he was pushed down by his opponents, followed by a great war of words with Ingram and the like. The Suns were bogged down in this quarter, trailing the Pelicans 74-84 to end the first three quarters.
In the final quarter of the showdown, Paul assisted his teammates in a row to close the point difference, but he then made a rare 8-second violation. The Pelicans' Jones layup was then punched in the face by Paul, who was whistled off for a first-degree malicious foul. Paul was then fouled defensively by his opponent again, and after Alvarado hit two free throws, the Suns were already trailing by as many as 16 points. Paul and Monty then both suffered technical fouls, and the Suns were unable to close the score.
In the end, the Suns lost to the Pelicans on the road, and the total score in the series became 2-2! Paul played 37 minutes today, only 2 of 8 shots, including 3 of 0 three-pointers, no free throws, and only 4 points, 1 rebound, 11 assists, 2 steals and 3 turnovers, and in the last three quarters, Paul did not score one point on 0-of-6 shooting.
According to the schedule, the two teams will play the Battle of Tennozan on April 27, and the Suns will return to the home field.