NBA: Suns inch closer to Playoff series victory, beat Pelicans 112-97

Phoenix Suns clinched a comfortable victory over Playoff rivals New Orleans Pelicans in game 5, securing a 3-2 lead in the ongoing series. The game ended with a tally of 112-97 on Tuesday night.

Mikal Bridges closed the Suns’ scoring with two emphatic dunks in the final minute, capping arguably the best game of his professional career. Bridges had 31 points in addition to five rebounds and two assists.

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Suns’ guard Chris Paul was the second-highest contributor for his team and added 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

The Suns took an 89-78 lead into the final quarter after Cameron Payne’s late 3-pointer. The Pelicans — just 36-46 during the regular season — pulled within seven points with less than two minutes left, but Cameron Johnson threw down a one-handed jam on the ensuing fast break to keep the Suns in control.

Even though Phoenix Suns had a comfortable win on Tuesday night, the absence of All-Star guard Devin Booker was felt on the court. The team played their third game in the ongoing Playoff series after the star player injured his right hamstring.

The Suns jumped out to a 2-20 lead by the end of the first quarter. They looked much more like the team that led the NBA with 64 wins during the regular season, playing tight defense and making the extra pass on offense to get open shots.

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Phoenix led by as many as 17 during the second quarter before settling for a 59-46 advantage. Paul had 16 points before the break while Ayton added 13. Ingram had 13 for the Pelicans.

New Orleans Pelicans will seek a Playoff comeback in game 6, which is scheduled for Thursday night. Meanwhile, Phoenix Suns are just one win away from winning the series.