On April 2, 2024, Beijing time, the 45-29 Pelicans hosted the 43-31 Suns, which is extremely critical for both sides, the Suns are currently ranked eighth in the West, only 1.5 wins ahead of the ninth-place Lakers, the Lakers have a mutual advantage against the Suns this season, and the Suns have a difficult remaining schedule, and they must win this battle if they want to keep the top eight rankings. The Pelicans are currently sixth in the West, and they will have to win this battle if they want to retain the top six spots. Suns starters: Booker + Beal + Allen + Durant + Nuki, Pelicans are absent, starters: CJ + Jones + Murphy + Zion + Wallan.
In the first quarter of the game, Wallan, CJ, and Murphy scored, Booker, and Durant responded strongly, Suns 12-7, CJ, Murphy scored three points, Nuki, Booker responded, and the difference was 4 points, Varland tossed, Durant 2+1, Booker hit 2 three-pointers, and the difference came to 11 points, and Durant dunked after a pause, with a difference of 13 points, Murphy scored three points, Booker, Gordon, and Allen scored in a row, and the difference came to 20 points, Zion made a layup, Booker scored 6 points in a row, and the difference was 24 points. Nance scored back-to-back points, Booker hit a mid-range shot, and the Suns led 46-28 in the first quarter. Booker scored 24 points in the first quarter, which was his seventh time this season that he scored 20+ points in a single quarter, surpassing Doncic's six times and topping the league. The Suns' 46 points in the first quarter set a single-quarter scoring record for the team this season.
In the second quarter of the game, Nance 2+1, a difference of 15 points, Beal and Durant scored three points, Daniels and Varland chased points, the difference was 17 points, Nukey and Durant expanded the difference to 21 points, Zion and Murphy scored, Booker scored in a row, Allen made a layup, the difference was 24 points, and after a timeout, Wallan made a free throw, Nuki scored three points, and the difference was 26 points, Zion, Jones, and CJ chased the difference to 18 points, Booker threw it, and the Suns led 74-54 at halftime.
Booker exploded with 37 points and 5 assists on 14-of-18 shooting (6-of-10 three-pointers) in the half, which was his fourth half-time 30+ in the half this season, setting a personal single-season record, Durant scored 16 points and 4 boards on 6-of-10 shooting, had 8 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, and Zion scored 10 points and 4 assists on 3-of-8 shooting for the Pelicans, Murphy had 12 points and 3 boards, and Varland had 9 points and 4 boards.
In the third quarter of the game, Jones made a layup, the difference was 18 points, Nuki, Booker, and Beal scored 7 points in a row, with a difference of 25 points, Murphy and Jones scored, Booker and Allen responded, with a difference of 27 points, Murphy, Zion, CJ scored, Booker and Nuki responded, with a difference of 25 points, Jones, Zion, and Murphy chased the difference to 15 points, Eubanks, Beal scored, Murphy and Nance chased points, and the difference was still 15 points, Eubanks made a layup, Marshall, Daniels made steals and layups to give the Suns a 103-90 lead at the end of the third quarter. Booker scored 48 points in the third quarter.
In the fourth quarter of the game, Marshall made a layup, with a difference of 11 points, Durant made 2 free throws and 2 hits, Nuki dunked, O'Neal made a layup, the difference was 17 points, Hawkins scored three points, Durant shot, made 1 of 2 free throws, the difference was still 17 points, Zion hit the basket in a row, CJ three points, the difference was 7 points, Booker scored 4 points in a row, Zion made 3 of 4 free throws, the difference was 8 points, there was more than 1 minute left in the game, Beal scored 5 points in a row, the difference was 13 points, there were 36 seconds left in the game, the two sides no longer attacked, and the Suns defeated the Pelicans 124-111. In this battle, the Suns suppressed the Pelicans all over the court and won a complete victory.
Booker finished with 52 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists on 19-of-28 shooting (8-of-16 from three-point range), Durant had 20 points, 7 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals on 7-of-19 shooting, Beal had 13 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists on 5-of-8 shooting, and had 19 points, 19 boards, 4 assists and 2 blocks, and Allen had 11 points, 2 rebounds and 4 assists.
Zion had 30 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists on 10-of-20 shooting, Murphy had 21 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, CJ had 15 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists, Varland had 11 points and 7 boards, and Jones had 9 points, 1 board, 3 assists and 4 steals.
After the Suns win, they overtook the Kings to seventh in the West, and the Kings became eighth, with the Suns leading the Kings by 0.5 wins and the Lakers by 2 wins, and the Pelicans still ranked sixth in the West after the loss, 0.5 wins behind the Mavericks in fifth and 1 win ahead of the Suns. The Suns have one more time to play against the Pelicans, and the Suns are hopeful of overtaking the Pelicans in the rankings.
For the Lakers, the Suns' defeat of the Pelicans made their hopes of overtaking the Suns plummet, and the Lakers' most promising object was the Suns, although the Suns' follow-up schedule is difficult, but they have a triumvirate configuration, especially Booker has the ability to slash 50+, as long as Booker breaks out, the Suns have the ability to guarantee the winning rate, and it is not easy for the Lakers to overtake the Suns.
The Kings have a head-to-head advantage in the face of the Lakers this season, the Kings have now lost 2 games less than the Lakers, and the Lakers want to overtake the Kings in the rankings, and the remaining games have to lose 3 games less than the Kings to do it, from the current point of view, it is not easy for the Lakers to overtake the Suns and Kings, because the Lakers have to face the Cavaliers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Pelicans and other strong opponents behind, and there are back-to-back games, and the schedule is not easy.