With the series tied at 2-2, the Phoenix Suns welcome the New Orleans Pelicans to their homecourt for deciding Game 5. Both teams need this win to assert their will on the series. The Suns are shorthanded with Booker still not available. The Pelicans want to take advantage of that fact and gain the momentum in the Playoffs.
The Phoenix Suns went with their starting lineup of Chris Paul, Cameron Johnson, Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton. The New Orleans Pelicans started with CJ McCollum, Herbert Jones, Brandon Ingram, Jaxson Hayes and Jonas Valanciunas.
Game Summary
With the opening tip, both teams locked horns to take the lead early on the game. The crowd was enticed with such intense battles between the two teams. Early on in the game, the duo of Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton went to work. Ayton went to the paint and attacked the rim.
The Pelicans offense got a bit cold after a few minutes and they struggled immensely. The Suns defense was tight enough to frazzle the Pelicans and they turned the ball over multiple times.
In the 2nd quarter, a display between the two guards of both teams took place as they went head to head. McCollum and Paul were the ones who went on the offensive this time and distributing the ball to their teammates. Yet the Suns early lead was more than enough to take the 1st half with a score of 59-46.
In the 2nd half, the Pelicans went entirely on the offensive led by Ingram and Valanciunas. They were getting baskets to fall so that they could cut the lead. But the Suns were not as fazed. Mikal Bridges appeared and he went on the offensive. Bridges has shown scoring spurts and this was one of those moments.
The Suns held their 10 point lead entering into the 4th quarter. During a play, Brandon Ingram had possession of the ball and was hit on his elbow by Mikal Bridges which forced him to be on the bench for a short while.
The Suns did not let this opportunity to pass and they kept feeding the ball to Bridges who continued to go to work. Ingram came back to the floor but he was unable to put any significant points on the board as his injury was too much for him to make an impact. The Suns were able to keep their lead till the final buzzer sounded.
Box Score
Mikal Bridges came out as the hero of the match for the Suns putting up 31 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 4 blocks. Chris Paul supported him with a double-double of 22 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Deandre Ayton did well with 19 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram led in scoring with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal. CJ McCollum supported him with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Jonas Valanciunas contributed with a double-double of 17 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
Takeaways From Game 5
The Phoenix Suns have taken the Pelicans down with a scoreline of 112-97. They now lead the series 3-2. With momentum in their advantage, the Suns are feeling great about their chances in Game 6. The Pelicans need to make sure that Ingram is available to play in Game 6. They might be feeling down but they have homecourt advantage the next game. Winning that game will lead to a Game 7 where anything can happen.