The New Orleans Pelicans shocked the world on Sunday night after defeating the Phoenix Suns in Game 4 to tie the series. Devin Booker's injury has proven to be an issue for Phoenix and New Orleans has capitalized on his absence. Rookie guard Jose Alvarado has played spectacular defense in this series and had himself a strong performance. After picking Chris Paul's pocket, the rookie sends a stern message to the future Hall of Famer.

According to Legion Hoops, Alvarado has Paul on his “list.” Earlier in the series, Jose Alvarado attempted to steal the ball by running up behind Chris Paul. The Suns' point guard saw it immediately and waved the rookie off. On Sunday, the Pelicans' guard got his revenge with a steal from behind the veteran point guard, giving his team an extra possession.

Jose Alvarado had Chris Paul bottled up throughout most of Game 4. The rookie even drew an eight-second violation as well, which created momentum for the Pelicans late in the game. New Orleans has been playing great basketball lately and most of their opportunities have been generated by stellar defense. It's a nice change of pace for the NBA, as most teams just score at will these days.

The first-placed Suns have struggled against the Pelicans since Devin Booker's injury. As for New Orleans, they've excelled by leaning on their defensive prowess. We'll see how the rest of the series plays out, but as of right now, Pheonix is officially on upset alert. As long as guys like Jose Alvarado and Herbert Jones continue playing strong defense, this team will have a real chance to advance in the NBA Playoffs.

Don't miss Game 5, as it takes place on Tuesday, April 26 at 10 pm Eastern.