The Phoenix Suns won the first round of the playoffs series and regained the initiative in the series. However, we overlooked a very real problem: the Suns were the dominant players in the regular season, while the Pelicans were only eighth in the West. The record of the two sides and the corresponding huge disparity in strength, but the Suns failed to complete the absolute crushing, which shows that the Pelicans do have a certain strength. Yes, the Pelicans' performance also indirectly proves the fact that the playoffs are indeed a fresh start.
However, we have to admit that Devin Booker's injury has brought a lot of trouble to the Suns' offensive end. Paul is a traditional point guard, and we can expect a fortuitous outburst on the scoring end, but we can't pin most of our scoring hopes on him. But Booker made a comeback in this G6 battle, trying to help the team advance to the second round as soon as possible. So, this time to the Pelicans' home stadium, ushered in the key G6 battle, can the Suns successfully win the game?
At the beginning of the game, the two sides engaged in a fierce competition, and the score was once in a state of staggered lead. The Suns' Claude scored a 3-pointer first, breaking the embarrassment of the game's start, devin Booker, who had just returned, was not in good shape, Ayton continued to output on the inside line, and the data of sending 10 points and 2 rebounds did not help, and the two sides drew 28-28 in the first quarter. After entering the second quarter, the New Orleans Pelicans, who stabilized the situation, began to establish a score-leading advantage.
Paul's three brothers worked together in the second quarter, and the team fell into a scoring drought. At the same time, Ingram and McCollum, who seized the opportunity, were able to lead the team to maintain relatively good form, during which they once took a 12-point lead. At the end of the second quarter, they still delivered a 22-12 score and a double-digit lead. Devon Booker returned from the G6 battle, but failed to play a big role on the offensive end, playing 13 minutes in the first half with only 2 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.
At the same time, Paul and Ayton stepped forward to maintain an extremely efficient output environment. Among them, Ayton shot 5 of 5 in the half, giving 12 points and 2 rebounds, and Paul also shot 4 of 4 from the field, giving 10 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists. The two broke out in unison, and the hit rate reached 100%, which is rare. Unfortunately, Paul and Ayton's unison failed to help the team take the lead, and they were 10 points behind the Pelicans. However, we have to admit that the Pelicans' double-digit lead is not unfounded.
As we've seen, Ingram delivered 12 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists at halftime, and the stats tended to be Paul.ed. McCollum continued to perform well on the offensive end, shooting 6-of-13 at halftime and delivering 13 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. On the team bench, there is also Nance Jr., who delivered 10 points and 7 rebounds, effectively helping the team relieve the pressure on the scoring end and the defensive end. At the end of the first half, the Suns trailed the Pelicans by a crucial 10 points, and the situation was unclear.