In the NBA playoffs, the fourth game of the first round against the Suns and pelicans came as promised, and the Pelicans played a brilliant performance on the road, equalizing the aggregate score to 2:2, and the next game between the two sides will open the battle of King Mountain at the Suns home Phoenix.
Before the start of this series, the Suns were undoubtedly a widely favored team, and even most basketball experts at home and abroad believed that the Suns were able to rush out of the West and finally stand on the stage of the Finals. However, with Booker's injury on game 2 of the series, the situation changed subtly. According to reliable sources, Booker suffered a hamstring strain and will miss at least 2 weeks, which means the Suns will complete the series without Booker. In Booker's absence, the Pelicans saw the hope of winning and played a very high fighting spirit, and many fans began to look forward to the birth of the Black 9 miracle!
So can the Pelicans really create the Black 9 miracle? I think there is an opportunity. First of all, the Suns' loss of Booker means they don't have the team's best scorer, Booker averaged 26.8 points per game throughout the regular season, and the team's second-leading scorer Ayton averaged only 17.2 points per game, and Booker's absence meant that the Suns had to rely on all the team members to fill the scoring gap. In terms of playoff intensity, it may be Paul who can play this kind of offensive performance so stably. The two games the Suns won were all about St. Paul coming, and Paul turned on the "point guard god" mode. However, Paul is almost 37 years old and you can't expect such a veteran to contribute more than 30 points per game and harvest games at key moments. Booker's absence has greatly weakened the Suns' offense, and this is the Pelicans' first chance!
Secondly, Ingram and CJ are difficult to be limited at the same time, so far in the four games, Yingge has averaged 29.8 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, shooting 51% from the field and 50% from three-point range. If you hid the player's name and looked at the data alone, who would you think of? That's right, I think of Durant at his peak. Ingram, who entered the playoffs for the first time, gave fans a wonderful performance of "Durant of Death". While the Pelicans' second offensive player, CJ McCollum, averaged 24 points per game and shot 40 percent from three-point range, Ingram and CJ's performance on the offensive end seemed unstoppable. Even though the Suns were a well-defended team with the best defensive big joe, they couldn't stop the Pelicans from playing a brilliant offensive performance! This is the Pelicans' second chance to achieve the Black 9!
Finally, mentally, the Pelicans, as a play-off team that qualified, are used to calling Underdog abroad, and are a stress-free side. There is a Chinese saying: barefoot is not afraid to wear shoes. Even if the Pelicans eventually lost two games in a row, they have succeeded this season and they have won the respect of the fans. In contrast, the Suns, they have created the best record in team history in the regular season, and they are unanimously optimistic about the ability to compete for the championship by the media, fans, and experts, and the pressure is obviously greater. Especially in the case that Booker could not play in the first round, he has now been dragged into the Battle of Tenno mountain. Just like the two armies are facing each other, the momentum is long and long, and the Pelicans are undoubtedly the more victorious side at present.
The series should have been free of suspense, but with Booker injured and the Pelicans twins exploding. The two teams entered the battle for the "Battle of TennoZan", and we have reason to look forward to the birth of the Black 9 Miracle. Next, the Suns can't afford to lose, and the next game at the Suns' home stadium, the game will definitely be more exciting!