New Orleans Pelicans vs Phoenix Suns 4/19/22: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Betting Odds, Predictions
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New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns Matchup Preview (4/19/22)
On Tuesday night, the New Orleans Pelicans will try to pry Game Two from the hands of Phoenix! The Pelicans did an outstanding job on the glass in their first game of the series but could not shoot well enough to sneak away with a win at the Footprint Center. New Orleans should feel relatively good about its play in the first game because it kept the game close and would have had a legitimate chance to win if it shot better than 38% from the field. On the other hand, Phoenix may have gotten a win but still has some work to do if it wants to make back-to-back NBA Finals appearances. The Suns got bullied on the boards; if they give up 25 offensive rebounds to a better opponent like Golden State or Memphis, they won’t stand a chance! Below I cover Game Two and which team I believe will come away victorious, so don’t miss it!
New Orleans Pelicans vs. Phoenix Suns Betting Odds
There were a few issues on display during Game One for both teams: Phoenix’s inability to grab defensive rebounds and New Orleans’ failure to capitalize on those opportunities on the offensive glass and shoot at a high level against the Suns’ ferocious half-court defense. Phoenix has to box out after shots better, or there will continue to be a massive discrepancy in field goals attempted in the box score throughout this series. Phoenix will probably survive this series because it is a better team, but it may not be in four games. I project another Phoenix win for this game, but I wouldn’t say I like throwing more than one unit at it. The Suns have to prove that they can hit the glass as hard as New Orleans before I ultimately buy back in, betting-wise. I’ll take Phoenix against the spread.
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How To Watch
Date: 4/19/22
Time: 9:00 PM ET
Arena: Footprint Center – Phoenix, AZ
Channel: TNT
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New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup
PG: C.J. McCollum
SG: Herb Jones
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Jaxson Hayes
C: Jonas Valanciunas
New Orleans Pelicans Analysis
The New Orleans Pelicans may be down 0-1 in their first-round series against the Phoenix Suns; however, they showed that they can hang with the “big boys.” More specifically, the Pels outrebounded the Suns 25-5 on the offensive glass, which is a serious cause for concern if you’re a fan of Phoenix. Those extra chances on the offensive glass allowed the Pelicans to shoot 17 more times than the Suns. In many games, that would have led to a team’s downfall, but the Suns found a way around it in the form of shooting 54% from the field in the shots they did get. New Orleans has been a top ten team in offensive and defensive rating since the All-Star break, but it may struggle a bit against a quality team like Phoenix unless it shoots substantially better.
Phoenix Suns Starting Lineup
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Devin Booker
SF: Mikal Bridges
PF: Jae Crowder
C: Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns Analysis
Sure, Phoenix won decisively, and it may even be able to shoot as well as it did in Game One for the whole series; however, defensive rebounding is a bit of a concern. Hopefully, the 25 offensive rebounds that the Suns allowed to the Pels were a one-game issue, because that could inhibit a championship run, especially against a strong rebounding team like the Memphis Grizzlies (first in rebounding rate%.) Phoenix was by no means a bad rebounding team this season, but it did rank 16th in the NBA in defensive rebounding % (percentage), while the Pels ranked third in offensive rebounding % (percentage.) For a team with so few weaknesses, this one was glaring. In a series where this issue will be front and center, the Suns have to hope they can just get to the next round. Winning every home game will be a start. On a separate note, Chris Paul had a vintage performance, which may be putting it lightly. There have not been many times in CP3’s career where he could legitimately post a 30/10/7 line, especially on a stacked team like the Suns. Paul stepped up when Phoenix needed him. Let’s hope he can do it again!
