“Mikal Bridges made 12/17 for 31 points, players he guarded made 3/17 for 7 points”: New Orleans Pelicans are shooting 36% in the series against Suns’ defensive juggernaut

Akash Murty | 27/04/2022
"Mikal Bridges made 12/17 for 31 points, players he guarded made 3/17 for 7 points": New Orleans Pelicans are shooting 36% in the series against Suns' defensive juggernaut

Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges are the three big hopes for the Suns before Devin Booker comes back.

Having lost their primary scorer in Devin Booker, the Suns need all the help on the offensive side of the court more from any and every player wearing the Phoenix jersey.

Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, and Mikal Bridges all upped their game offensively in Game 3, the game after Book went out with the series tied at one each.

Also read: “Chris Paul couldn’t wave me off for that one”: Jose Alvarado gets CP3 on his signature steals list, tortures Point God as Pelicans get even with the Suns

The leaders of the defense and playmaking savored the day, scoring well above their regular season averages. Paul and Ayton both scored 28 points while Bridges scored a crucial 17 in a 114-111 win.

In Game-4 though, only Ayton could keep up and scored 23 while Bridges scored 8 and CP3 scored a mere 4 points in a 118-103 thrashing. The series stood even again at 2 each when Suns and Pelicans took on each other on Tuesday, and the three stars had the responsibility of showing up, and boy didn’t they do it well.

Mikal Bridges went berserk in Game 5, lit the Pelicans defense up, and stood firm at the Suns’ 1st line of defense

While CP3 had his usual ‘Point God’ like game scoring 22, assisting another 11, alongside gathering 6-boards and 3-steals, DA scored 19 while snatching 9 boards. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges had the game of his life.

The DPOY finalist, while playing almost all throughout the game, allowed just 7 points, caused multiple turnovers, and made 4 blocks. He didn’t leave much for his other teammates and scored 31 points while shooting a mesmerizing 4/4 from three, 3/3 from the charity stripe, and 12/17 from the field.

This must be the best performance of the playoffs thus far, but because the scoreline was 112-97 and maybe because he’s a Suns player, this single-handed domination on both ends of the court will not get as much praise as Embiid’s or Doncic’s 50-point games.

Also read: “Charles Barkley was jailed for five hours before being released on a $6K bond”: The Suns MVP had created bloodshed at an Orlando bar in 1997

 

Post Edited By: Akash Murty
Chris Paul Mikal Bridges New Orleans Pelicans Phoenix Suns

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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