Bismack Biyombo (13 rebounds, 11 points) and Jock Landale (8 points) replaced injured Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton in their home win over New Orleans on Friday.
Suns coach Monty Williams said after the game there was no timetable for Ayton's return.
"He just kept going and going and he got a couple of them and had a follow up dunk, got a rebound put back. I thought it gave us a lot of life and then the way that they were playing in the pick and roll, it gave Bis and Jock a chance to finish." Biyombo held his own against Pelicans big Jonas Valanciunas , who the Suns struggled to keep off the glass during their first-round playoff series. The Suns won in six games, but the Pelicans outrebounded them 274-214.
“It’s just playing hard," Biyombo said about rebounding. "Obviously, Valanciunas and I have a history. We have played together . We’re friends over the course of the years, but I think that’s just being part of being a student of the game. ...