Pelicans vs. Suns Reactions: Chris Paul, Phoenix pull off stunning fourth-quarter comeback
A historic collapse by the Pelicans in the fourth quarter on Friday saw the Suns stun New Orleans for a 132-114 victory.
Leading by 11 points entering the fourth, the Pelicans were outscored 41-12 in the fourth quarter, the worst point differential in one quarter in franchise history, per Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
Prior to the fourth, the Pelicans looked in control and on their way to a potential big win led by the trio of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson each scoring at least 20 points.
However, that trio managed just two points in the fourth quarter as the Suns pulled off the stunning comeback on the back of Chris Paul, who finished with 15 points and 19 assists in the win.
For New Orleans, Ingram had 25 points, Williamson 23 and Ball 21 points to go along with 12 assists. The loss is the fifth in the last six games for the Pelicans.
The Good: The first three quarters
For much of the opening 36 minutes on Friday, New Orleans was the team in control. The way they did it was particularly noteworthy as it wasn't on the back of individual brilliance of one of their stars in Williamson or Ingram. Those two along with Ball each cleared 20 points on the night and helped balance the offense. The team closed the third quarter well, going on a little burst to open up a double-digit lead heading into the fourth. Everything looked terrific. And then.....
The Bad: The fourth quarter
My oh my did everything collapse spectacularly in the fourth quarter. It was such a dominant stretch from Phoenix that it's hard to pinpoint just what the run was. It was a 35-7 run over the first nine minutes before Stan Van Gundy pulled his starters. There was a couple of runs where the Suns scored double-digit unanswered points. Throughout the entirety of that run, New Orleans looked completely lost and as Phoenix continued making shots, the Pelicans' momentum and energy dissipated with every empty possession. If not for a couple baskets from Sindarius Thornwell and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in garbage time of the fourth quarter, New Orleans wouldn't have reached double digits in points in the frame. So many positives through the first three quarters tossed away in spectacular fashion.
Lonzo Ball: 20-10 game
Very little of the blame for the loss falls on Ball's shoulders on Friday. He had 21 points, 12 rebounds and hit 6-of-12 from 3-point range. He added three steals, two blocks, a rebound and didn't turn the ball over on the night. In 36 minutes, he finished with a plus-minus of 0 on the night, the lone Pelican to finish with a non-negative number. In the 12 minutes he didn't play, the Pelicans were outscored by 18.
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