It’s a long-standing cliché that NBA teams relying heavily on fast breaks during the regular season won’t be able to carry that over to the playoffs, when the pace of games dips to a crawl and opponents prioritize transition defense. For one game in New Orleans’ first-round series vs. Phoenix, the Pelicans appeared to suffer from the postseason’s natural slowdown, only scoring two transition points. Game 2 was a completely different story.
Highlighted by third-year power forward Jaxson Hayes running by the Suns for three third-quarter dunks and rookie wing Herbert Jones converting a back-breaking layup ahead of the field with three-plus minutes left in regulation, the Pelicans totaled 16 fast-break points, a swing factor in their 125-114 victory.