The Suns confirm their good start to the season against a Pelicans team who had the same record as them before this meeting. A meeting whose visitors obviously did not leave favorites due to the absences of Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.
Taking advantage of the long-distance clumsiness of the locals (1/9 from afar in the first quarter), CJ McCollum and his gang nevertheless raced in the lead during the first twelve minutes (21-27). It was not until the return of the substitutes of the Suns to see them react and thus turn in front at the break (57-52).
Still thanks to their men on the bench, the locals accelerated at the end of the following period, to start the final quarter with a comfortable margin (93-83). With good defensive sequences, converted into a counter-attack, Phoenix was able to unfold until the end of the game.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The good defensive phases of the Suns. The Arizona players still finished with 111 points in their teeth, but it should be noted that the Pelicans had one of the best attacks in the league before this game and above all had the best general address (50%). Tonight, they were limited to 44%. In the fourth quarter, the Pelicans paid cash for their mistakes on offense. Like, to cite only this example, a ball stung by Chris Paul in the back Jonas Valanciunas, ended in counter-attack led by CP3 and ended by Cam Johnson in the circle. Phoenix scored twice as many points on the counterattack as NOLA (22-11).
– Deandre Ayton’s injury exit. The pivot left his partners in the first quarter due to a sprained left ankle. He fell on the foot of Jonas Valanciunas after a “jumper” at the head of the racquet and did not come back into play. For the record, the pivot had missed seven games last year for a sprained other ankle. The Suns had not lost a meeting in his absence on this sequence.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Mikal Bridges. While Chris Paul and Devin Booker weren’t particularly brilliant with their skill, the strongman of the Suns defense posted the best offensive outing of his season so far. Adroit on the periphery, he scored the majority of his points near the circle. Best evaluation of the meeting, he also finished best blocker (3)!
✅ The Suns bench. With the premature exit of Deandre Ayton, another interior was to take over. If Jock Landale still responded present, we will stop especially on the match of Bismack Biyombo who slammed a double-double when he had hardly played since the start of the season. At his side, Torrey Craig, very active in the second quarter in particular, and Cameron Payne also ensured. The +/- column of these bench men perfectly illustrates their impact.
✅ Jonas Valanciunas. Very high level match for the pivot whose offensive activity, coupled with that of the surprise Naji Marshall, made it possible to compensate for the clumsiness of CJ McCollum, who moreover did not hesitate to feed him on the “pick -and-roll”. Flat compared to this beautiful double-double: its coverage of the opponent’s “pick-and-roll”. Chris Paul and even Landry Shamet feasted on him at the end of the game to send lobbed passes inside the Suns. Phoenix thus scored 60 points in the racket of the Pelicans (against 36 for them).
⛔ Larry Nance Jr. Very small outing for the usual “energizer” of the Pelicans bench. The interior lacked address (1/5), committed three faults and lost two balls. Result: in just 14 minutes of play, he finished with one of the worst +/- of the game: -19!
THE FOLLOWING
Suns (4-1) : reception of the Rockets, Sunday
Pelicans (3-2) : trip to the Clippers, Sunday
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