The Suns and Pelicans' first-round playoff series is tied at 2-2, with the two sides set to engage in the much-anticipated Battle of Tenno-san, and the Suns' wind ratings are no longer as optimistic as ever. That's right, without Devon Booker, the Suns lost their regular season championship aura, as if they were the team that needed to achieve the Black Eight miracle. From playing in the playoffs as the eighth in the West to slowly forcing the Suns into a desperate situation now, the Pelicans have proved the attitude of the Black Eight team with one game after another.
Yes, the Suns are strong and are well-deserved favorite teams in the West, but without Devon Booker, the aggressiveness of the offensive end has been greatly affected. While Ingram and McCollum on the Pelicans side stepped forward one after another, the rest of the players on the team could also stand up and score in times of crisis. The Suns want to regain the initiative to take the lead, and it's really time to make some adjustments, taking advantage of Ayton's advantage on the inside as much as possible to ease the pressure on the team's scoring end.
In the first half of the competition, the home Suns did not give the Pelicans a chance to take the lead, and quickly expanded the point difference to double digits. Ayton and Paul went on to power in the first quarter, sending 8+2+1 and 8+2+3 data contributions to help the team play 32-20 and gain a 12-point lead. Entering the second quarter of the showdown, the Suns, which maintained the initiative in the score, were able to follow the trend and further widen the point difference between the two teams. McCollum played 12 minutes of the second quarter, sending 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist did not work, and the Suns, who remained high, still rejected the Pelicans' reversal.
Before the Yibian rematch, the difference between the two sides was widened to 13 points, and the situation was very favorable for the Suns. Devin Booker continues to be absent due to injury, and the Suns still play the style of the old League. In the third quarter, Paul was dudded in the first half, but Bridges stepped up and delivered a crucial 11 points, only allowing the pelicans to score 32-30. As of the crucial final quarter showdown, the difference between the two sides is still 11 points.
In the final quarter of the tiebreaker, the Suns did not give the Pelicans a chance to fight back, and Bridges played the technical level of the king of the final quarter, delivering a key 13 points and 1 rebound. At the same time, Paul also contributed 6 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists. In the end, the fourth quarter of regular time was completed, and the Suns completed a 15-point victory with a score of 112-97 to successfully seize Tenno Mountain. Lacking Devon Booker's tough scoring point, Bridges did stand up and play 47 minutes in a single game, shooting 4-of-4 from three-point range and 12-of-17 from the field, giving a game-high score of 31 points and a full range of 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Looking at the big picture, the Suns didn't agonize over the pressure on the scoring end of this game. Although only four players on the team scored in double digits, while Bridges delivered the highest score of the game, Ayton also handed over 19+9 statistics, and Chris Paul, who handed over 22 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals. They have all been effective in alleviating the overall scoring pressure of the team.