Suns edge Pelicans on Warren's dunk in OT

[November 05, 2016]  NEW ORLEANS -- There is the gall of youth, and then there is the deep, deep well of experience.

The Phoenix Suns benefitted from each precious commodity Friday night in winning their second consecutive overtime game by dispatching the winless New Orleans Pelicans, 112-111, on a game-ending, inbounds play as old as peach baskets and James A. Naismith.

T.J. Warren, a third-year forward out of North Carolina State, took a backdoor inbounds pass in the lane from veteran P.J. Tucker and slammed home the game-winning dunk to turn a 111-110 deficit into a victory, sending the Pelicans spiraling to their sixth consecutive defeat to start the season.

"That's 11 years in the league," Tucker said of his inbounds pass, which threaded through the arms of inbounds defender Anthony Davis and found Warren's outstretched hand.

"It was crazy," Tucker added. "I was telling the guys, in my mind I was saying, 'T.J., spin out,' and it was like he heard me. And I threw it like mid-spin. The catch was unbelievable. I can't believe he caught that ball. There was a small margin of error for him to catch that ball."

Warren, who is coming into his own as a legitimate 20-point scorer, had 18 points, but he was only 4 of 16 from the field before the winning dunk.

"Tuck, man, made a phenomenal play," Warren said. "It was an amazing pass, using his basketball IQ. It was just a perfect play. The pass was high so I had to catch it with one hand, so it was just like a magnet, really. It worked out for us and we got a win on the road."

Suns coach Earl Watson, whose team defeated Portland 118-115 in overtime on Wednesday night, said practice made the play easier.

"We play this game at the end of every practice called '95-95,'" Watson said. "The team that reaches 100 in two minutes wins, so we are used to this. I don't mean for it to go into overtime every two games. I like the fact that our guys never stop fighting."

The Suns (2-4) trailed 111-110 when E'Twuan Moore made two foul shots with 8.6 seconds left, but after a timeout, Phoenix had time to set up the inbounds play. Warren faked Solomon Hill near the top of the key and then knifed toward the basket, where Tucker hit him with a perfectly timed pass for the winning dunk with 7.4 seconds left.

Guard Devin Booker, a second-year guard from Kentucky, scored a career-high 38 points for the Suns, and Eric Bledsoe had five of his 17 points in overtime.

Lance Stephenson appeared to win the game for the Pelicans in regulation when he hit an 8-foot, fallaway jumper over Warren with 2.1 seconds, putting New Orleans up 102-100.

But after a timeout, the Suns got the ball to Booker, who was freed up on the inbounds play, and Booker hit a 20-foot corner jumper over Moore to tie the score 102-102 at the buzzer.

New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said his team, which lost for the second straight time in overtime, failed to convert big plays at the end. He looked at a play near the end of regulation, when New Orleans held a 100-97 lead and forced a missed 3-pointer by Booker.

Suns forward TJ Warren (12) shoots as he is fouled by New Orleans Pelicans guard Langston Galloway (10) during the second half of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

"They made plays and we didn't," Gentry said. "It was a great defensive possession for us, we don't come up with the rebound."

Tyson Chandler grabbed the rebound for Phoenix, and after another Phoenix miss, Booker was free at the top of the key and nailed a tying 3-pointer.

Gentry said the Pelicans simply got beat on the inbounds pass in overtime.

"The only thing you can do to win the game is you've got to have a stop, and we didn't do that," Gentry said. "You can't get beat on a backdoor play. That's not part of the game plan. You can't get beat on that play. You got to make them at least get the ball and make them do something. Those are the kind of mistakes we just can't make."

Anthony Davis led the Pelicans with 22 points and 11 points, but once, again, it wasn't enough.

"It sucks," Davis said. "That's all I can say. Just got to find a way to win."

NOTES: Pelicans starting F Dante Cunningham was suspended one game without pay Friday after pleading guilty to "operating a motor vehicle in a negligent manner while exhibiting the effects of having consumed alcohol," the NBA announced. The incident happened over the summer in the state of Washington. "It's something that happened and obviously he regrets it, and it's time to move on," New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. ... Gentry said he's happy the team has moved into the middle of the pack defensively -- ranked 12th -- but he's surprised they have fallen to No. 29 offensively. "(Defensively) that's where we needed to be last year," Gentry said. "We've got to jump several spots offensively to make it all work." ... Suns coach Earl Watson said he hopes G Eric Bledsoe's game-winning 3-pointer against Portland on Wednesday will spark the Suns. "We've always believed in what we could do," Watson said. "We understand that we are part of building something that has a strong foundation."

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