It didn’t take long for New Orleans and its many first-time playoff participants to get accustomed to the NBA’s biggest stage. It didn’t take long for the Pelicans to make a relatively common prediction that they’d get swept in Round 1 by the league’s best team already incorrect.
After struggling in Game 1 on Sunday, New Orleans responded big-time Tuesday, taking over in the second half with a 69-53 edge. The Pelicans withstood a spectacular first half from Phoenix guard Devin Booker, who piled up 31 points before intermission.
“I thought we settled in,” CJ McCollum said of how the Pelicans responded after their Game 1 loss.
“The most important thing with our group is we just kept our poise,” head coach Willie Green said of his team playing composed in a raucous Footprint Center against a Suns club that went 64-18. “They made some runs. (We came) out and executed over and over again in the last five minutes of the game.”
For seven New Orleans players (out of 10 in Green’s rotation), Sunday was the first time they’d ever appeared in an NBA playoff game. Tuesday was their first playoff win.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
New Orleans forced Phoenix into a backcourt violation with 1:24 left, leading by eight points. Brandon Ingram knocked down a pair of free throws for a 123-114 edge seconds later.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Whether it was the team’s potent scoring duo that regularly produces nights of 50-plus points, or invaluable contributions from three different rookies, or the boost provided by a backup big who made his New Orleans debut less than a month ago, the list of stars was lengthy. The biggest was Ingram, who went for 37 points in just his second career playoff game. The 2020 All-Star deposited 26 second-half points, including double digits in both the third (14) and fourth (12) quarters. He also nearly notched a triple-double, finishing with 11 rebounds and nine assists.
Informed afterward that Ingram came up an assist shy of the feat, Larry Nance Jr. initially joked that he was upset, but then said “triple-double or not, Brandon Ingram was Brandon Ingram. We all know who he is. He’s a superstar. He makes big plays. He’s a crunch-time player. He closed this game out for us, like he’s done all year.”
BY THE NUMBERS
9/19: New Orleans three-point shooting in the first half.
8/12: New Orleans three-point shooting in the second half. Ingram drained three in the second half, while McCollum and Jose Alvarado drained two apiece, with both guards hitting them in big spots of the fourth quarter.
32-9: Phoenix home record during the regular season. However, one of those defeats came vs. New Orleans in the first game for the Pelicans after the All-Star break.
REVISITING FANDUEL KEYS TO THE GAME
PLAY WITH PACE
Outstanding. New Orleans won fast-break points 16-9, tallying eight transition points in both halves Tuesday. The Pelicans only mustered two fast-break points in the entire Game 1.
GUARD THE GUARDS
Definitely could’ve been better here, considering Booker piled up 31 points in the first half on ridiculous three-point shooting, including a few bombs where he was left wide open due to Pelicans miscommunication. Booker left the game late in the third quarter with a hamstring injury, preventing him from doing further damage. Meanwhile, Chris Paul obliterated NOLA’s defense late in Game 1, but this time he shot 5/16 and tallied 17 points.
MATCHUP TO WATCH
The Suns limited McCollum and Ingram to 13/42 shooting in Game 1, but they were 20/39 this time, including a scorching-hot 9/13 from three-point range. McCollum’s odd shooting night consisted of 1/8 on twos, but 6/10 on threes.