On April 27, Beijing time, the first round of the NBA regular season continued, and the Suns competed with the Pelicans for the fifth game in the series. The Suns established a double-digit lead in the first quarter, and since then they have withstood multiple counterattacks from their opponents and firmly controlled the advantage. In the end, the Suns defeated the Pelicans 112-97 to get the match point 3-2 in the series.
Stats: Bridges had 31 points, five rebounds and four blocks for the Suns, Paul had 22 points, 11 assists, six rebounds and three steals, Ayton had 19 points and eight rebounds, and Payne had 12 points. The Pelicans had 22 points, five rebounds and five assists, Valanciunas had 17 points and 14 rebounds, McCollum had 21 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Alvarado had 12 points.
The two sides drew eight minutes before the first five minutes of the game, after which the Suns scored six straight points to establish a 14-8 lead, and the Pelicans requested a timeout at 6:01. Herbert Jones hit a three-pointer after the timeout, and Cameron Johnson responded with a 2+1. The Suns scored seven straight points in the second half of the first quarter, and the Suns led 30-18 to 12 points after a wave of 9-0. Paul hit two free throws and ended the first quarter with the Suns leading their opponents by 12 points at 32-20.
Ayton's mid-range shot and Bridges' layup in the second quarter gave the Suns a 43-28 lead to 15 points, and the Pelicans hurried to request a timeout. Returning from the timeout, Alvarado and McCollum hit three-pointers in succession, and the Pelicans narrowed the gap to nine points. The Suns then sent out a 10-2 wave of attacks, with the 59-42 Suns extending their advantage to 17 points. The Pelicans trailed by four consecutive points in the final minute, and the Suns led by 13 points at 59-46 at halftime.
Bridges hit a three-pointer in the third quarter, Ayton hit a 2+1 and the Suns extended their advantage to 17 points. Valanciunas helped the Pelicans chase four points in a row, again trailing the gap to 13 points. The Mid-Range Pelicans relied on free throws to chase six points in a row, and the 70-80 point difference came to 10 points. Nance's jump shot at a crucial moment helped the Pelicans take the lead to 78-86, and Payne hit a three-pointer in the final moments, and the Suns ended the third quarter with an 11-point advantage at 89-78.
Valanciunas scored 2+1 at 8:47 in the final quarter and the Pelicans trailed 82-92. Bridges' three-pointer gave the Suns another 13-point lead, before McCollum hit a three-of-a-three-time jumper to make the Pelicans trail 87-95 by just eight points. Paul hit a back-back shot to stop the Pelicans 102-93 at 3:50. Paul came back from a timeout with two free throws, and the point difference widened to 11 points. The Pelicans trailed by four points in a row to close the gap to seven points at 97-104. Bridges hit two free throws in the final 1 minute and 05 seconds, and the Suns 108-97 once again established an 11-point advantage, and the game lost suspense. In the end, the Suns defeated the opponent 112-97 and won the Battle of Tennozan.