Suns beat Pelicans
PHOENIX – Chris Paul was struggling through the first half and – frankly – looking a little old and creaky.
The moment was fleeting.
The 36-year-old Paul responded with a vintage performance in the second half, finishing with 14 points and 18 assists as the Phoenix Suns rallied for a 112-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night.
“It’s pretty cool to watch greatness,” Suns coach Monty Williams said.
Paul is now third in NBA history with 10,346 career assists, passing both Mark Jackson and Steve Nash. The point guard scored all of his points in the second half and dished 10 assists to help the Suns steamroll the Pelicans down the stretch.
“I’m just inspired by it honestly,” Suns guard Devin Booker said. “Been a fan for a really long time. It’s really fun to see, it’s really fun to be a part of it. A long time from now, I’ll be able to say I got to play with Chris Paul.”
The Suns improved to 3-3 this season. The Pelicans fell to 1-7.
Mikal Bridges led the Suns with 22 points. Little-used reserve Frank Kaminsky added 17 points and four steals, and JaVale McGee had 18 points and five rebounds. The two big men were particularly good as the Suns regained control of the game in the second half.
The Pelicans led by as many as 20 points in the first half, but that advantage was cut to 65-62 by midway through the third quarter. New Orleans took an 82-76 lead into the final quarter. Then it was Paul’s turn to take over – he was 5 of 5 shooting from the field in the fourth and 2 of 2 on free throws.
“We made a lot of mistakes, especially in that second half to a team you can’t make mistakes to,” Pelicans guard Josh Hart said. “Being young is not an excuse. We weren’t
dialed in the second half defensively to focus on getting stops and playing our game.
“When that happens, we blow a 20 point lead and lose.”
The Pelicans took a 36-22 lead in the first quarter after making 6 of 10 3-pointers and forcing eight Suns
turnovers. New Orleans had a 59-48 lead at halftime.
It was a brutal start for the Suns’ All-Star backcourt of Paul and Devin Booker, who combined for eight turnovers in the first half. The home team even heard scattered boos from fans in the second quarter
before the cheers came in the second half.
Jonas Valanciunas led the Pelicans with 16 points and eight rebounds before the break. He finished with a team-high 23 points.
PAUL’S MILESTONES Paul earned the No. 3 spot in assists late in
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