Pelicans (45-34), Suns (20-60)
PHOENIX – For a second straight game against an opponent well out of contention in the Western Conference, New Orleans wasn’t playing around, building a rapid first-quarter lead Friday and eventually pulling away from Phoenix. The Pelicans led wire-to-wire Wednesday vs. Memphis, and this time only faced a deficit of 2-0 at the outset of Friday’s matchup in Arizona. The visitors broke it open in the fourth quarter, expanding an 86-70 edge to over 20.
New Orleans inched closer to a postseason berth, only needing to get to 47 wins overall to clinch a trip to the playoffs (that required number could shrink to 46 soon, depending on the results of a few other games around the West).