The two players threw down three slams to win the game. (0:33) Just after midnight, the 2-year-old daughter of a New Orleans Pelicans player takes the podium with her dad. She began the news conference wearing a white T-shirt that said "My heart is on that court" and a pair of high pigtails. As her dad waits for the first question, she grabs the mic. Before she can speak, Jose takes the mic back from her and starts talking about the team's 15-point victory over the conference's No. 1 seed. For a short time, Nazanin sits still. She moved to the back of the room as her dad tried to answer the media's question. Less than 30 seconds later, she was back at the podium and on her dad's lap. She was off again ten seconds later. "Hey, get her please, I'm sitting next to a family member." It is easy to see where she gets her energy. The Suns were on the court when her dad hounded them. The only one of the rookies who has made a difference this season is Alvarado. He was on a two-way contract until he got a four-year deal. Herbert Jones, a second-round pick, could make the NBA All-Defensive team this season. Among rookies who attempted at least 100 treys, Murphy III was the leader in three-point percentage. The foundation for New Orleans' resurgence was served by Brandon Ingram,CJ McCollum and Willie Green. The rookies were not enough to push the top seed to Game 6 without. Green said that the growth of the young guys was the reason why the team didn't make it to this point. The Knicks have been a major force behind the improvement of the team. Murphy, the No. 17 pick in last year's draft, had earned regular minutes to open the season but his minutes slowed down after the team only won one game. Murphy was going to go down for another trip to the G League, but the rotation was opened up by the injury to Ingram. Murphy shot 43.8% from deep over the final 17 games of the regular season as New Orleans made its playoff push. The NBA playoffs run through June, when the league will crown a champion for its 75th season. A star guard has arrived in Dallas.
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In the winner-take-all play-in game against the LA Clippers two weeks ago, Murphy made four 3-pointers in the final 16 minutes as the New Orleans Pelicans completed a come-from-behind victory.
It is cool because I have had struggles shooting the ball earlier in the year and being able to come through in a big game for our team was important to me.
Jones was the SEC Player of the Year and the Defensive Player of the Year at Alabama. The hope was that his game would come later.
In summer league last year, New Orleans started Kira Lewis, Didi Louzada, Murphy, Naji Marshall, and Anzejs Paniks, but brought Jones and Alvarado off the bench.
They fell in love with his play. The buzz coming out of pre-training camp workouts was loud and filled with a phrase that would soon go viral.
Not on his body.
After Josh Hart was injured in the first game, Jones was quickly inserted into the starting lineup and drew the best perimeter offensive player every night. Jones has defended the All-Stars for 1,192 times in the halfcourt, second most in the league.
It was different to be thrown in the fire early. I feel like my teammates helped me. My coaches helped me adjust quickly.
Alvarado picks the pocket to ice the game.
With just under nine minutes left in the fourth quarter of Game 2, Murphy took a pass from the left wing and attempted a jumper to extend the New Orleans lead. The shot was not good, and the Suns forward grabbed the rebound and threw it to Chris Paul.
The man was near the bench, ready to try his patented steal on the Point God.
As he flung his arm up the court, Paul said, "Get ya ass back."
On multiple occasions this season, the guard has hidden in the corner after a miss or make and then poked the ball away from the ball handler.
The guard has always been known for his sneakiness. He was told by his coach that it wouldn't work in high school. He was told by his high school coach that it wouldn't work in college. He was told by his coaches at Georgia Tech that it wouldn't work in the NBA.
At each level, he has tried it. It has worked at each level.
He was warned that it wouldn't work on Paul.
In the second game, Paul was ready. But in the fourth game, he got his revenge.
With 2 minutes left in the game, Ingram drove to the basket and missed a jumper. As Paul turned the corner to head up the court, Phoenix forward Mikal Bridges dumped the rebound off to him.
He was waiting. He took off behind Paul and forced the steal on the baseline corner. After hitting a cutting Jones for a basket, Ingram picked up the ball, hit a cutting Jones for a basket and then ran away screaming at the top of his lungs.
Alvarado says that he told the man that he had gotten him and that he started laughing.
The 2005 Boston Celtics and 2005 Chicago Bulls are the only teams since 2005 to have three rookies play more than 80 minutes in a series.
If New Orleans wants to send this series back to Phoenix for a Game 7, this trio of rookies will be a critical force.
They are our foundation and they bring us energy every single day. They are consistent in who they are. They will be important to us as we try to make this run, shooting the basketball, on the defensive end and just making plays.
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