April 26th - New Orleans Pelicans @ Phoenix Suns - GAME 5 - 2-2

[Pelicanidae]

It's Gameday!!

🏀 vs Suns
🕘: 9:00 pm CT
📺: @BallySportsNO | @NBAonTNT
📻: @ESPNRadioNOLA#OneNOLA | @SmoothieKing pic.twitter.com/yjFL1jnc2Z

— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 26, 2022

4 Games in and we're tied with the 64 win Suns. Booker is injured and CP3 may have some hand issues ailing him. Neither team has been able to shoot from 3 all series long, it feels like. Suns fans are mad because we out-FT them, but it makes complete sense when actually looking at the teams. Monty complained about it after last game. Meanwhile, the Nets got swept lmao.


If we are able to pull off a road win tonight we become the favourites in the series. It would be huge for us. But obviously the Suns know that too, and it will be a big challenge to do it. Will the team rise to that challenge?

Let's go!

[AusPel]

It's free hit time

No stress unless you have a line bet

[Taker597]

The theme right now is that both team can't build any momentum to win consecutive games. So, I think this will probably be a super tough game, because after every loss. The other team always digger deeper in the next game.

We really got to win this game, because I rather deal with a 70% Booker at home than a 75% Booker in PHX.

I do think PHX will get out of their shooting slump.

[Taker597]

Tired of these 9 pm games. Can we add Vegas and Seattle teams and get us relocated to the East with Memphis, man.

[Taker597]

https://andscape.com/features/cj-mc....hold-on-to-it/

I think he took all those years of being made a scapegoat in Portland personally when he was being a team guy in an asinine structured roster.

=====

Why did you want to come to New Orleans?

Looking at where I’m at in my career, what I’m trying to accomplish before I’m done, what I’m willing to try and accomplish as a team, obviously, are the reasons. You know the love this city kind of shows people that reciprocate love to them. It just makes sense. The opportunities I’d have on the court, obviously, the players that I’d be playing with, the staff, the league and former players who spoke really highly of it, including CP [Chris Paul]. I spoke to JJ [Redick] about it. I spoke to everybody about it. Meeting with [Pelicans general manager and former NBA player] Trajan Langdon. Meeting with Griff [Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin]. Understanding Trajan’s background with what he was able to accomplish as a player.

You respect him as a person in the front office. Then there is BI’s [Brandon Ingram] game, JV [Jonas Valančiūnas], Zion [Williamson], Herb [Jones], Trey [Murphy], Jaxson [Hayes] … a lot of young talent they’re considered and they’re going to get even better. I felt like I was what they were missing, and they were what I was mising

Why was it time for you to leave the Blazers?

The why doesn’t matter. Just happy to be moving forward. The writing was on the wall.

[AusPel]

I'm just amazed he referenced Jax

[Pelicanidae]

Tired of these 9 pm games. Can we add Vegas and Seattle teams and get us relocated to the East with Memphis, man.

I, too, am tired of these 3am games.

[luckyman]

As far as the playoffs, looks like I was wrong about the Warriors. Thought the Nuggets could make that a series and possibly win it.

Not surprised about the Nets. Was highly annoyed by all the talk of teams trying to avoid them. Bad roster with no Joe Harris. Thought Boston would take them in 5. They did one game better.

Tonight for the Pels it's going to come down to execution. They have the clear talent edge as much as people won't or can't believe that. Just need to limit the turnovers and not have a flat quarter.

Otherwise Suns take it on pure desperation.

[Taker597]

Everyone keeps talking about Suns shooting woes. I think they go off tonight.

[RobertM320]

I, too, am tired of these 3am games.

[6warddude]

Everyone keeps talking about Suns shooting woes. I think they go off tonight.

thats the main thing im worried about.....they stole game 3 with ayton and mcgee....im worried these next 3 games they wake up from the 3pt line....

[As I See It]

CJ is due for an efficient game in the series. Hope it's tonight.

[6warddude]

CJ is due for an efficient game in the series. Hope it's tonight.

i know right...3 games left and he has to have a better shooting line and at the free throw line........and trey need to score some points also some how...

[As I See It]

The theme right now is that both team can't build any momentum to win consecutive games. So, I think this will probably be a super tough game, because after every loss. The other team always digger deeper in the next game.

We really got to win this game, because I rather deal with a 70% Booker at home than a 75% Booker in PHX.

I do think PHX will get out of their shooting slump.

Well, as we speak the only team that can win consecutive games is the Pels; so, why not?

[Freyfamilyreuni]

According to Andrew Lopez, Herb Jones was retroactively assessed a flagrant foul when he "knocked down" CP3 after CP3 hit him with an elbow. Of course no actual foul was called on either play.

https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez

[6warddude]

According to Andrew Lopez, Herb Jones was retroactively assessed a flagrant foul when he "knocked down" CP3 after CP3 hit him with an elbow. Of course no actual foul was called on either play.

https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez

smh..herb will foul out tonight or be in foul trouble in the first half....cp3 going to the free throw line like harden tonight lol...

[PELICANSFAN]

According to Andrew Lopez, Herb Jones was retroactively assessed a flagrant foul when he "knocked down" CP3 after CP3 hit him with an elbow. Of course no actual foul was called on either play.

https://twitter.com/_Andrew_Lopez

Too bad CP3 was not "retroactively" ejected for what should have been a flagrant 2.

[msusousaphone]

CP3 has only had 48 hours between games with travel. He'll only have 48 hours with travel going into game 6....and again 48 hours with travel going into game 7. I think he may have enough energy to put another electrifying performance into one of those games but I don't see him being able to get it up for two of them. We have to take advantage of that.

[davehornet]

Conceding tonight. We lose by double digits. Hope for a better effort on Thursday night to keep the series alive.

[6warddude]

CP3 has only had 48 hours between games with travel. He'll only have 48 hours with travel going into game 6....and again 48 hours with travel going into game 7. I think he may have enough energy to put another electrifying performance into one of those games but I don't see him being able to get it up for two of them. We have to take advantage of that.

if i see cp3 guarding jax tonight and no one get the ball to jax or jax posting up cp3 and not calling for the ball..im going to loose it tonight.....i cant take it for 5 straight games and we are not adjusting to take advantage of cp3 being in mismatches.......

[RobertM320]

if i see cp3 guarding jax tonight and no one get the ball to jax or jax posting up cp3 and not calling for the ball..im going to loose it tonight.....i cant take it for 5 straight games and we are not adjusting to take advantage of cp3 being in mismatches.......

Jax probably wants to avoid getting punched in the nuts.

[Pelicanidae]

Everyone keeps talking about Suns shooting woes. I think they go off tonight.

It depends where you look. It's fair to say the Suns are struggling from 3, cause they are: they averaged 36% in the regular season and they're only shooting 29% from deep in this series.

But they're also shooting 65% from 2 in this series compared to them only shooting about 55% from 2 in the regular season, so it's swings and roundabouts. Could you easily say that they're due a return to the mean from 3, but they're just as due a return to the mean from 2 as well. Either could happen. Or neither. Or both.

Similarly, outside of us randomly hitting 17 threes in game 2, we've actually shot pretty mediocre from 3. Not horrible but not great; 39% in game 1, 34% in game 3, 25% in game 4. Extremely average. So it's not like they can't hit anything and we're shooting lights out, we're doing pretty middle of the road from deep.

[Taker597]

It depends where you look. It's fair to say the Suns are struggling from 3, cause they are: they averaged 36% in the regular season and they're only shooting 29% from deep in this series.

But they're also shooting 65% from 2 in this series compared to them only shooting about 55% from 2 in the regular season, so it's swings and roundabouts. Could you easily say that they're due a return to the mean from 3, but they're just as due a return to the mean from 2 as well. Either could happen. Or neither. Or both.

Similarly, outside of us randomly hitting 17 threes in game 2, we've actually shot pretty mediocre from 3. Not horrible but not great; 39% in game 1, 34% in game 3, 25% in game 4. Extremely average. So it's not like they can't hit anything and we're shooting lights out, we're doing pretty middle of the road from deep.

Well, their success at the 2 is more of match up win rate success than laws of averages. We are just so soft up the middle like a dragon belly.

[6warddude]

if the suns plan on countering our big lineup with mcgee and ayton then we need to hit our 3s tonight because the paint will be crowded with a shot blocker......

[Pelicanidae]

Well, their success at the 2 is more of match up win rate success than laws of averages. We are just so soft up the middle like a dragon belly.

Sure but they don't actually get to the rim that often - which is part of their problem with FTs. They're living and dying on 14-20 foot jumpers, and they're hitting those shots, even contested, at frankly ridiculous percentages.

If they were exploiting our poor PnR defense to get a million looks at the rim, their 2pt efficiency would make sense. But they're not - Ayton is only shooting 14.5% of his shots at the rim compared to an average of 34% of his shots at the rim in the regular season, for example. Instead, he's just decided to shoot 44% of his shots from 10-20 feet and hit them at nearly 10% better than his regular season rate. That's not really sustainable for anyone. He shot 58% from floater range in the regular season and he's shooting 76% from there in this series. That's absurd.