Chris Paul Passes Steve Nash on NBA's All-Time Assist List as Suns Down Pelicans
The defending Western Conference champions are putting their slow start behind them.
The Phoenix Suns defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 112-100 in Tuesday's Western Conference battle at Footprint Center. Mikal Bridges led the scoring with 22 points as six players finished in double figures for the victors, who improved to 3-3 on the season with their second consecutive win.
Most notably, Chris Paul dished out 18 dimes and passed Steve Nash for the third-most assists in NBA history.
A double-double from Jonas Valanciunas wasn't enough in Zion Williamson's absence for the Pelicans, who fell to an ugly 1-7 on the campaign with their fourth straight loss.
Notable Player Stats
- Chris Paul, PG, PHO: 14 PTS, 18 AST, 7 REB
- Mikal Bridges, F, PHO: 22 PTS
- Devin Booker, G, PHO: 18 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST
- Jonas Valanciunas, C, NO: 23 PTS, 14 REB, 2 BLK
- Josh Hart, G, NO: 16 PTS, 9 REB, 3 AST
Chris Paul Puts on a Show Down the Stretch
There aren't many better chances for a contender to get back on track than a matchup at home against a Pelicans team missing its two biggest stars.
Even though the Suns were without big man Deandre Ayton because of a leg injury, they figured to have enough firepower to win consecutive games for the first time all season. Yet a sluggish start once again put Phoenix in comeback mode.
Paul and Devin Booker combined for eight turnovers in the first half alone, and the former didn't score a point before intermission despite dishing out eight assists. Booker also struggled with his shot, and the defense didn't have an answer for Valanciunas without Ayton on the floor.
Fortunately for the Suns, they were still within striking distance to start the second half thanks to a three-point spark from Jae Crowder, Paul's ability to facilitate even though he wasn't scoring, and some secondary scoring by Bridges and Frank Kaminsky.
They remained there after a back-and-forth third quarter and finally pulled ahead for good when Paul took over the game after passing Nash in the all-time assists category.
In fact, he scored or assisted on 25 points in the final quarter and made all five of his field-goal attempts. Considering the Pelicans scored a mere 18 points as an entire team in the fourth, the game was essentially decided as the future Hall of Famer darted in and out of the defense and kept everyone involved.
Sometimes it takes a transcendent performance to snap a team out of a slump, and Paul provided just that against New Orleans.
Fourth-Quarter Collapse Leads to Another Loss for Pelicans
This is not how the season was supposed to start for the Pelicans.
Rather than continuing to build around Williamson, the star is yet to play in 2021-22 because of a fractured foot. Andrew Lopez of ESPN reported he is "progressing" but still needs to undergo additional scans in two to three weeks to determine when he can return. To make matters worse, Brandon Ingram was sidelined Tuesday with a hip injury.
Yet the team that took the floor in Phoenix was dialed in from the start and jumped out to an 11-point halftime lead with Valanciunas taking advantage of a shorthanded Suns frontcourt and scoring in the paint and beyond the three-point line.
Throw in Josh Hart finding his stroke from deep and Devonte' Graham facilitating and forcing turnovers with his perimeter defense, and the Pelicans were in full control throughout the early going.
And then the fourth quarter happened.
A New Orleans defense that set the tone in the first half was nowhere to be found as the visitors were outscored 36-18. JaVale McGee was unstoppable down low at times, Paul took over for a with floaters and mid-range jumpers in the lane to go with his assists, and Booker finally started hitting shots after an ice-cold start.
The result was yet another loss for what is shaping up to be one of the league's worst teams at this point.
What's Next?
The Pelicans remain on the road to face the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, while the Suns host the Houston Rockets on Thursday.
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