With New Orleans’ win on Sunday night, the series quickly became the most exciting game of the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Phoenix was supposed to be able to easily wipe out the Pelicans, but there’s nothing easy about this series for the Western Conference defending champions.
You could say that things changed when the Guardian of the Sun Devin Booker was injured, and that was certainly a factor, but more than that the Pelicans were already under the Sun’s skin and certainly not backing down. . They don’t have the depth of Phoenix, and certainly don’t defend well, but the better team doesn’t always win.
I’ve not always been a fan but it’s hard not to like what New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram has done for the Pelicans. Their attacking versatility is also impressive, and you have to wonder what their next move against Zion Williamson is whether they win or lose this series.
The Suns remained a strong contender at home in Game 5, which was surprisingly a win for Phoenix.
Game Info
New Orleans Hornets (2-2) vs Phoenix Suns (2-2)
Tuesday, April 26, 2022
Footprint Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
10:00 p.m. ET
TNT
Betting odds
Spread: Pelicans +6.5 (-110), Suns -6.5 (-110)
Total: 215.5
Cash flow: Pelicans +205, Suns -245
Best bet
Over 215.5
I wasn’t shocked when Phoenix dropped game 4, but surprisingly they basically lost their cool in doing so. They’re missing Booker’s points, but at the same time, they seem to have wobbly confidence in contrast to the certainty they’ve shown throughout the season. It’s actually quite amazing to watch.
Phoenix will likely win this game, but I prefer totals to spreads. When we look at the numbers, we see a bottom in Game 1, followed by three straight bottoms. Oddly enough, the declining game total is certainly in contrast to a series of games where the Pelicans have become more and more comfortable (and they still aren’t playing solidly defensively)
Quite simply, New Orleans currently has more points than Phoenix, and they have the advantage of having a high possession game where the likes of Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas can score lots of points. They know that too.
Phoenix counter-attacked by leaning on DeAndre Ayton and Chris Paul, but neither of them were high-hitters, they were more effective attacking players. Names like Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, and Cam Johnson might get hot, but their game is sure to get more praise.
In suggesting an over, I note that every game in this series has seen the winning team score at least 110 points, and in the only underdog in the series, New Orleans failed to score 100. . Since then, the Pelicans have not scored less than 111 points in a game because they have made a series.
Tuesday night, look for a quick game with lots of goals with the home side just a few more wins at the end of the game. Experience is still important but the comeback won’t produce a game where both teams scored in the 90s.
