NBA: Pelicans rout Suns without Devin Booker, Playoff tied at 2-2

New Orleans Pelicans were undeterred by the absence of star Devin Booker and managed to rout Playoff rivals Phoenix Suns with a tally of 118-103 on Sunday night. The series is now tied 2-2.

Brandon Ingram stepped up for his team and filled the Booker-shaped void in the lineup of the New Orleans Pelicans. He added 30 points for his team in addition to five assists and four rebounds. More than half of the points scored by Ingram came in the third quarter.

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Booker strained his right straight after scoring 31 first-half points in the top-seeded Suns’ Game 2 loss. Deandre Ayton led the Suns with 23 points and eight rebounds, and fellow center JaVale McGee had 14 points, Associated Press reported.

The Pelicans led 89-85 with 8:05 left and used a 12-0 run to ice it. Valanciunas, limited to six points in a Game 3 loss, scored 10 points in a 3:34 span of the fourth quarter to help the Pelicans pull away. He punctuated his scoring spree with a 3-pointer from the left-wing.

New Orleans had a 35-23 advantage in the third quarter. Ingram was the catalyst, making 7 of 10 shots and assisting on two other baskets as New Orleans took an 84-74 lead. His flurry started on the Pelicans’ first three possessions of the half, with a pair of 15-footers and a layup, Associated Press.

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Phoenix Suns also had nearly twice as many fouls as rivals New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday, with the winners registering a count of 16 while Suns had 28.

Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans are now scheduled to clash on April 26, where both teams can expect fierce competition and attempt to get a lead in the ongoing Playoff series.