Ingram, Pels overwhelm Suns to tie up series 2-2
NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans started its season 3-16. Now, the pesky Pelicans are proving to be a handful for the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference playoffs.
Brandon Ingram scored 16 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the Pelicans beat the Suns — playing their second game without injured star Devin Booker — 118-103 in Game 4 on Sunday night to tie the first-round series. Game 5 will be Tuesday in Phoenix.
“Brandon is playing some of his best basketball of the season, and he’s doing it on the biggest stage, and it’s great to see,” said New Orleans coach Willie Green, a rookie head coach who kept his young team together in the midst of its early season struggles and now has forced a best-of-three playoff match with the top-seeded Suns. “I’m just trying to move out of the way and let him do his thing.”
Ingram says it feels like it is the Pelicans’ time.
“We’ve worked so hard throughout the year to become a better team,” Ingram said. “My teammates put me in the right spots and are making me look good.”
Jonas Valanciunas reasserted himself in the middle with 26 points and 15 rebounds, and rookie guard Herb Jones played smothering defense against Chris Paul.
Paul, who had 19-point fourth quarters in the Suns’ two playoff wins, was held to four points in 35 minutes. He had 11 assists, but committed three turnovers.
It was a physical game. The Pelicans converted 32 of 42 free throws while the Suns went to the line only 15 times and made 10.
“It was like the old NBA,” said Paul, who was picked up in the back court by Jones nearly the entire game. “I told the refs, ‘Are we playing old NBA or new NBA?’ I was fortunate enough to play in both. Regardless, whatever it is, you’ve (got) to adjust early in the game and figure it out.”
Jones said he simply tried to be more aggressive against Paul and not give him room to maneuver.
“We were trying to be more disruptive and more physical,” Jones said. “I feel like that’s been a huge part of our game, especially in the playoffs. You’ve got to play with a little more fire.”
Suns coach Monty Williams did not want to take away from the Pelicans’ effort, but he was upset by the disparity in foul shots.
“Forty-two to 15 in free throws — slice it any way you like to, in a playoff game that’s physical, that’s amazing,” Williams said. “Coaches shouldn’t have to come up to the microphone and feel like they’re going to get their head cut off for speaking the truth. It’s not like we didn’t attack the basket. That’s really hard to do. They outplayed us and they deserved to win, but that’s a free throw disparity.”
Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow center JaVale McGee had 14 points.