For most of the first three quarters on Sunday, the Phoenix Suns dominated the New Orleans Pelicans. It was around what you'd expect out of a matchup between a 64-win No. 1 seed and a 36-win No. 8, but in the second half things started to shift. A lead that ballooned as high as 23 was cut to single digits. A Pelicans offense that had previously been silenced came to life.
Chris Paul rode in on a white horse to save the day, but for the faintest of moments, it looked as if the Pelicans could truly compete with the Suns. Was that just a blip? Or was it a sign of things to come in this series? Here's everything you need to know to find out on Tuesday, when these two teams meet for Game 2.
(1) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans
- When: Tuesday, April 19 | 10 p.m. ET
- Where: Footprint Center -- Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: TNT | Live stream: TNT
- Odds: NO +400; PHO -550; O/U 221.5 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Storylines
Suns: The Suns proved just how big the talent gap is in the first half of Game 1 when they suffocated the Pelicans. Things got exciting in the second half only when Phoenix took its foot off of the gas pedal. Ultimately, in a series this lopsided, there are few strategic points that mean all that much to the favorite. Phoenix is going to win this series, it's just a matter of how long it takes them. What matters is using this series to sharpen up for the more competitive rounds that are coming and getting through it as quickly as possible to limit injury risk. Phoenix's goal here is a sweep. As the Pelicans proved, that's going to necessitate 48 full minutes of championship-caliber basketball. The Suns are more than capable of that.
Pelicans: So … the Pelicans just got Chris Paul'd. The moment things looked like the game was shifting in their direction, Paul destroyed them. He's done that to far better teams, but Game 1 is in the past. Now, the Pelicans have to figure out what they can do to adjust when the Hall of Fame takes over the game in the fourth quarter. Herb Jones, an All-Defense candidate, couldn't handle him on his own. No Pelican could. Doubling him off of screens just weaponizes his passing. Willie Green coached Paul at Phoenix only a year ago. He's going to have to get creative to figure out how to slow him down, because if what happens in Game 1 repeats itself, this series is over.
Prediction
The Pelicans gave the Suns their best punch in the second half of Game 1. It wasn't enough. Now any questions of rust have been answered. Paul has proven he can take over crunch time against the Pelicans easily. With the fun of the play-in now in the rearview mirror, it's just easier to acknowledge that one of these teams was below .500 and the other is the title favorite. No No. 8 seed is going to stand in the Suns' way. The pick: Suns -9.5
