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Game 1 playoff postgame wrap: No. 1 Suns 110, No. 8 Pelicans 99

New Orleans has repeatedly shown an ability to rally from deficits this season, including saving their season Friday via a fourth-quarter comeback at the Clippers, but the Pelicans dug themselves too large of a hole Sunday in Phoenix. After the visitors sliced the margin to within a couple possessions, a familiar face in the Crescent City made sure the Suns prevailed.

Former New Orleans All-Star point guard Chris Paul went on a fourth-quarter scoring barrage (19 points), pushing back the Pelicans after they had surged into striking distance, despite their rough first half. Phoenix led 53-34 at intermission, but upset-minded New Orleans won the third period 37-26, then further cut into its deficit prior to Paul dominating a critical final-stanza stretch.

IT WAS OVER WHEN…

Mikal Bridges banked in a twisting layup with a minute-plus remaining, giving Phoenix a 108-97 lead.

PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME

Playing his first playoff game since the 2018 NBA Finals, Larry Nance Jr. was a game-changer in the second half, doing major damage in the city where his father rose to stardom in the 1980s as a member of the Suns. Nance scored all 14 of his points after intermission and totaled six rebounds, including three on the offensive boards. Nance packed that production into just 20 minutes of action.

BY THE NUMBERS

25: Jonas Valanciunas’ New Orleans franchise-playoff record for total rebounds in a game. That was one shy of the most rebounds in a playoff contest since 1983-84, a mark shared by Bismack Biyombo (a current Suns reserve), Dwight Howard and Hakeem Olajuwon.

4/18: New Orleans shooting in the first half on what ESPN Stats & Info classifies as uncontested shots.

6: Phoenix first-half blocks. Sure the Pelicans missed a boatload of open looks, but the Suns’ defense was fierce all over the floor, including at the rim and in the paint.

REVISITING FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME

LIMIT SUNS RUNS

Phoenix’s offense did not produce an avalanche of buckets at any stage prior to Paul’s one-man show in the fourth quarter, but the other end of the floor was the major problem for New Orleans.

FORCE TURNOVERS

Neither team made many mistakes (turnovers were NOLA 14, Phoenix 10), with the difference in shooting accuracy being a much larger swing factor in the outcome.

MATCHUP TO WATCH

New Orleans probably needs CJ McCollum to play at or above his high standards to beat Phoenix, but the guard joined numerous teammates Sunday in not being able to locate his shooting touch until the Pelicans were down big. He finished 9/25 from the field and scored 25 points. Meanwhile, the Phoenix All-Star backcourt of Paul and Devin Booker combined for 55 points on 20/35 shooting and 8/14 three-point accuracy.