The Phoenix Suns needed the absolute brilliance of 12-time All-Star Chris Paul to survive a potential playoff opener meltdown at the rebounding hands of upstart New Orleans Pelicans.
Paul scored 30 points, including 19 of them in a big fourth quarter, to overcome a 20-rebound deficit and seal a 110-99 win by the Suns. The Suns now have a 1-0 series lead over the Pels in the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs.
The result and rebounding deficit were no different than the other four Suns-Pelicans games, actually. Under rookie head coach and former Suns assistant Willie Green, the Pels have lost four of five games to the Suns this year despite out-rebounding the Suns in all five by an average of 11 rebounds per game.