The New Orleans Pelicans lost by 11 to the Phoenix Suns in their 2022 playoff opener, but the game wasn't as close as the score suggests thanks to the incredible defense of Mikal Bridges and Deandre Ayton.
Phoenix exploded for a 19-point first half lead to control the game (53-34). While the Pelicans gave the Suns quite the scare when they staged a 37-26 third quarter to cut the lead, they were simply unable to build momentum offensively because of Bridges and Ayton.
As Andrew Lopez of ESPN noted, the Pelicans shot 2-of-16 from the field with Bridges as the primary defender. The Defensive Player of the Year finalist made life particularly hard for CJ McCollum, who went 0-of-9 when being guarded by the Suns youngster.
Meanwhile, Ayton contested 20 shots from the Pelicans and limited the opponents to just two makes in those attempts.
From @ESPNStatsInfo:
Pelicans finished 2-of-16 with Mikal Bridges as primary defender – including 0-of-9 from CJ McCollum.
Also, Deandre Ayton contested 20 shots. Pels were 2-of-20 on those.
— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) April 18, 2022
It was definitely a defensive masterclass from the Suns, and while they faltered a bit in the third quarter, they held on for the win.
For what it's worth, Charles Barkley was impressed with the Suns' defense in the contest and called it “one of the greatest defensive performances Iv’e ever seen.”
“A whole NBA team (was limited to) 34 points in a half. Everybody plays defense on that team. (Mikal) Bridges is up for Defensive Player of the Year, but Jae Crowder, you got (Devin Booker) playing good defense, I mean, (Deandre) Ayton is blocking everything. That was impressive to watch,” Barkley said.
That speaks volumes on Phoenix's emphasis beyond just their offense, and it will certainly be crucial as they try to return to the NBA Finals and get the job done this time around.
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