Associated Press
PHOENIX — The short-handed Phoenix Suns closed out their home season with a victory Friday and looked toward their final two games, which they need to win to match last year’s 21 wins.
Josh Jackson scored eight of his season-high 35 points in overtime, and Phoenix rallied from 15 points down in the third quarter to beat the New Orleans Pelicans 133-126 Friday night in a matchup of teams missing plenty of players.
Jackson swished a 28-foot 3-pointer with 1:23 left in the extra period, his fifth of the game, to seal the Suns’ victory in their home regular-season finale.
“We just continued to fight throughout the entire game,” Jackson said. “Just trying to keep the same shooting motion every time, miss or make, and just having confidence. … If you get an open shot, you just have to step up and shoot it.”
Jamal Crawford scored a season-high 28 points, Ray Spalding added a career-high 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Dragan Bender had two of his seven blocked shots in overtime.
The seven blocks marked a career high for the 7-foot-1 Bender, and season best for the Suns.
“We really wanted to win this game for the fans and give them a little hope,” Bender said.
Julius Randle had 31 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Pelicans, who have lost six of seven. Ian Clark added a season-high 24 points.
“We played well in the first half, we had ball movement and did a good job,” Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said, “and then we decided we’d become and iso(lation) team and that’s what we’re not.”
In the frenetic final seconds of regulation, De’Anthony Melton tipped in teammate Mikal Bridges’ miss with 30.6 seconds to play to give the Suns a 117-116 lead.
Randle missed two free throws with 23.2 seconds left, but the Pelicans got the rebound and Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov was issued a technical foul.
Ian Clark made the free throw to tie the score. The Pelicans retained possession with 11.1 seconds left, only to have Solomon Hill miss a 3-point try.
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