Phoenix Suns win when Mikal Bridges scores 10+ points

Chris Paul’s shoulder injury is definitely going to be big news to keep an eye on and both Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton have been fantastic in this series, but the biggest storyline for the Suns both this year and in this series has been Mikal Bridges. When he plays well, the Suns win and his stats back this up. 

In the Suns’ three wins in this series against the Lakers, Mikal Bridges is averaging 11.3 points per game and is shooting 38.2% from the floor, 40% from three-point range. In the Suns’ two losses to the Lakers in this series, Bridges is only averaging 6.0 points per game and is shooting 36.3% from the floor. 

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When Bridges has scored 10+ points in a game in this series, the Suns have won and that is not just a coincidence. He is the “spark-plug” for this team and when he is knocking down shots or making a difference defensively they are able to push the ball in transition and get the shots they want to get. 

When healthy, we know what to expect from Chris Paul and we seem to have a grip on what Devin Booker and DeAndre Ayton will give the Suns night-in and night-out in this series, but guys like Jae Crowder, Cam Payne and Mikal Bridges have become the x-factors for the Suns in this series. 

When they are knocking down shots, specifically Bridges, they win games and these are in direct correlation with each other. Watch for Mikal Bridges to have another strong performance offensively in Game 6 and if he does, the Suns should be able to close out this series and advance to the Western Conference Semifinals for the first time since 2010.