A small cataclysm avoided. Already tested in the first round of these Playoffs by the injury of Devin Booker, the Suns this Friday regained the advantage of the field in New Orleans. A superb operation which offers twelve kilos of confidence to a group now sure of its abilities. Debrief.
The pretty homemade boxscore is HERE!
It wasn’t the 64-win great Phoenix that rolled over the regular season, but it was a good Phoenix. We see you coming huh: “Yeah, but they almost lost to New Orleans, against a guy named Jose Alvarado who looks like an Andalusian water aerobics mono”. It’s true. But first of all, a lot of credit should be given to Jose Alvarado, top on his 17 minutes of play. Deuzio, this kind of trap match without Devin Booker, under the projectors of a New Orleans Arena looking like a bottleneck, we know more than one team Jazz who Utah would Donovan Mitchell left Jazz empty-handed. So certainly, a lambda type who analyzes the performance of Phoenix by the final score thinks of a ric-rac match, not very serious, close to correctional. But another who preferred to sacrifice three hours of sleep to make up his own mind knows how warrior-like this success is. If the Suns were able to leave at the hotel with the advantage of the field, it is in particular thanks to the axis Chris Paul – Deandre Ayton. The interior – author of 28 points, 17 rebounds and 3 steals at 65% shooting – kept his team on the surface throughout the game. His role at the end of the meeting? Spamming the pick-and-roll with Cipi Fruit just to offer the point guard some great mid-range situations. This is how the Point God stalled 19 of its 28 points in the 4th quarter, and at the same time buried the Pelicans. We also owe him the incredible stat of 14 assists for… 0 lost ball. The result of perfectly exploited spaces, but also of excellent communication with its interior. At the end of the match, a question from the set of SportsCenter – ESPN broadcast – was asked to him: “How impressed is Deandre Ayton after a disappointing Game 2? ».
“It’s my fault, I have to make sure that my interior is served. […] Deandre said to me during a timeout in the 4th quarter: “I’m going to make you lose CP, take the shots”. –Chris Paul, in a post-match interview
Deandre Ayton was impressive tonight. Scored in every way for the Suns with 28 points on 20 shots. Post ups. Off the dribble. Hit a 3 too. Ayton has come a long way. Without Booker he stepped up like he needed to before CP3 owned the 4th. pic.twitter.com/lc3D3N5hFq
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 23, 2022
Well, the guys get away with shooting 4/26 from 3-point anyway. In defense of the men of Monty Williams, it is never easy to draw properly when a whole room is blowing on your neck. It’s still despicable, huh, but it’s the start of the Playoffs, and therefore the first burning atmospheres. A guy like Jae Crowder – usually flawless – only sends an ugly 0/5 from afar on this one. Just like Landry Shamet, at 0/5 too. No worries. We know that it is temporary and for the great optimists, there is even something to see in it a good sign. When you crush a Brandon Ingram – CJ McCollum duo with 64 points, 11 rebounds and 9 assists at 52% shooting including 7/17 from the parking lot, while having the arrogance not to return a single award-winning shot, we can say that you are the king of the jungle. You can also say that Jaxson Hayes helped you charging Jae Crowder like he owes him money. Expelled, the 21-year-old position 5 adds a new couillonnade to an already overcrowded list. Moreover, by making this gift to the opponent in such a tight match, Jaxson had to take the wrath of the entire locker room. Even the steward.
Chris Paul was INCREDIBLE in Game 3, he spent the first 3 quarters setting up his teammates before DOMINATING the fourth quarter with 19 points to push the @Suns to the 2-1 series lead! @CP3: 28 PTS, 4 REB, 14 AST
Game 4: SUNS/PELICANS, Sun. 9:30pm/et on TNT pic.twitter.com/qWfoqH7Q7S
— NBA (@NBA) April 23, 2022
It goes. On the edge, with the heart, but it passes. With this success, doubts about the ability of the Suns to evolve without Devin Booker left as quickly as they arrived. That doesn’t last too long, though.
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