Pelicans beat Suns; series even at 1-1 before heading to NOLA Friday

PHOENIX, Az. (WVUE) - The Pelicans started Game 2 out better than the previous matchup, even leading at times in the first half, but Devin Booker’s 7-of-10 makes from 3-point land put him on his way to a blistering 31 points in the first half as the Suns took a 61-56 lead.

READ MORE Suns’ Devin Booker likely to miss Games 3 and 4 against the Pelicans, ESPN reports

In the end, the Pelicans took Game 2 with a final score of 125-114 thanks to key adjustments made by coach Willie Green to the rotation.

Brandon Ingram led the way for the Pelicans in the win with 37 points and 11 boards.

In the first half, C.J. McCollum led the Pelicans with 15 points and Trey Murphy III drilled in two timely 3-point makes in the first half, including one in the final minute, to cut Phoenix’s lead down to 5.

In the third quarter, the Pelicans came out running and took the lead behind energy plays from Jaxson Hayes, again getting the start in the power forward position. Hayes kicked things off with a monstrous block and several fast-break buckets on long-running passes from Brandon Ingram.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the Pelicans held on to a 90-83 lead.

Devin Booker left the game with an injured hamstring and the Pelicans took advantage.

Big 3-pointers by McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Jose Alvarado and a fast-break bucket by Herb Jones helped grow New Orleans’s lead in the fourth quarter.

Ingram continues to come through with hard-earned jumpers down the stretch, another from 3-point range, and a baseline jumper to go up 118-113 under 2 minutes left to go.

On another fast break, Jones leaked out to the basket again and was put on the line where he nailed two to go up 121-113 with just over a minute to go.

Now that the series is all even at 1-1, the Pelicans will look to take the lead back in New Orleans in the Smoothie King Center Friday at 8:30 p.m.

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