The first-round series between the Suns and Pelicans have been tied up 2-2 after the Pelicans beat the Suns on Sunday, 118-103. The winning effort from the Pels was encapsulated by Jose Alvarado, who scored five points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals in 18 minutes.
There were two plays that showed why Alvarado was rewarded with a four-year deal and has gained a reputation for his scrappy play on both ends of the floor. One came from when Alvarado picked Chris Paul’s pocket from behind.
Jose spawned in from behind. (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/GoYiMMXejl
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 25, 2022
The second big moment came when Alvarado picked the Wake Forest product 90 feet and forced CP3 into an 8-second violation while the Point God attempted to bring the ball across the halfcourt. Forcing the two turnovers had to be gratifying for the Georgia Tech product after Paul waved him earlier in the series.
“Couldn’t wave me off of that one,” Alvarado said. “I got him — that’s one thing I wanted to do, actually. I got him on my list.”
JOSE ALVARADO LOCKS DOWN CHRIS PAUL 🔒
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) April 25, 2022
8-second violation on the Point God 🚫pic.twitter.com/dVPfDIsY1p
The hustle and attitude of the Brooklyn-bred point guard garnered a resonating standing ovation from the NOLA fanbase.
“He’s one of the best guards out there. It’s all love. No disrespect. But I’m going to be there. I ain’t running away from no smoke. It’s nothing personal. I’m going to stand on my own. I’ll pick up fullcourt, make the game difficult for him.”
NOLA 🤝 Jose Alvarado
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 25, 2022
(via @PelicansNBA) pic.twitter.com/IUjEw97kZp
The Suns-Pelicans series moves back to Phoenix on Tuesday for Game 5.
