Game 3 of their first-round series against the Pelicans was a win for the Phoenix Suns, but the energy from that game Friday carried over into Sunday’s 118-103 New Orleans win at the Smoothie King Center.
More specifically, the Suns’ three-point shooting funk remained in Game 4, a loss that brings the series back to Phoenix tied at 2-2.
Phoenix shot 7-of-27 (26%) from three-point land.
It followed the team’s 4-of-26 (15%) shooting from deep in a 114-111 win on Friday that put the Suns ahead 2-1 in the series.
On Sunday, Cam Johnson hit Phoenix’s first three-point shot of the game at the 10:51 mark of the second quarter, but that came after he air-balled two threes in the first quarter. He nailed another with five minutes to go before halftime.
Johnson closed going 3-of-7 from long range.
Jae Crowder, who had struggled mightily with a 0-of-14 mark from three-point range in the first three games, nailed his first trey of the series just before halftime.
The differential from deep didn’t bite the Suns as it did a game prior thanks to some air-tight defense on their front. New Orleans went 6-of-24 from three-point range, but the Pelicans were a plus-22 from the foul line as Phoenix only got to the free-throw line twice in the first half and 15 times for the game.
Deandre Ayton led the Suns in scoring with 23, while backup JaVale McGee added 14 and Johnson posted 13.