Game Day: Suns (17-10) @ Pelicans (12-16), Friday, 2/19/21

[bajanguy008]

Time: 6:00 pm AZ (5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET)
Place: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: FSAZ, NBALP

Ok folks, here we go again as we return to New Orleans for another matchup with Zion. Just over 2wks ago, we got blitzed by this bunch which lead to Monty starting Frank and our longest win streak of the season until an even more disappointing loss last game. The Pelicans went on a 4 game win streak after beating us but have now lost 4 of their last 5 heading into tonight. Zion however still hasn't slowed down and continues to post ridiculous scoring and fg% numbers so do we handle him better this time around ?

I am sure the guys had this game marked on the calendar after the embarrassment last time and now coming off the Nets game we should be locked in and ready to play some good basketball (for 48mins) . Let's make wrong this right

Go Suns!!!

Dis • cuss

[Nodack]

Let’s hope so.

[MightyMoog]

Start MVFrank

[bajanguy008]

By all accounts, nothing expected to change with Adams and they will likely start Willy Hernangomez. We all know there aren't many people as strong as Adams and he sets some killer screens but Hernangomez is no slouch.

[ShelC]

Zion's averaged 31ppg on 70% shooting the past 5 games so we shouldn't feel too bad about the game he had. Maybe we just let him get his and keep everyone else from going off? Ingram and Ball hurt us last game and they knocked down a bunch of 3s. We didn't get anything from our wings with Bridges and Cam going 2-14 from 3. Crowder starting should help give us some resistance against Zion and Adams may be questionable or out?

[Superbone]

Gotta figure out how to keep Zion out of the paint!

[Indy]

Gotta figure out how to keep Zion out of the paint!

I just don't see that happening. As long as we don't foul him to the point where we get the rest of the team in the bonus early in quarters, we can let him have his way in the paint.

They are 5-10 when he scores +25.

More importantly, they are 3-11 when he takes more than 15 shots in a game. Let's make it hard but not foul, he gets all of his FGA, and the rest of the team stands around and doesn't do much else.

[ShelC]

I don't remember Crowder matching up with him much, if at all, last time. I think he'll be much more effective than anything we did last time. He's still giving up some 40 lbs, but he's no lightweight either. Ball denial or play off and make him shoot. If Zion can bully Crowder to the basket and go 8-9 doing so, kudos.

[Split T]

Crowder defended him a bit, but didn’t have much success. In space, Crowder can’t stay in front of him, he’s too quick. But he could put up some resistance in the post.

[O_Gardino]

Time to start a new win streak.

[Nodack]

I hope the ranked Suns defense shows up and not the Swiss cheese defense from the second half of the last game.

https://statsalt.com/games/nba/2-19-202 ... tion-9641/
Suns suffer biggest blown lead in franchise history
The Suns were likely feeling good up 24 points in the third quarter facing a Nets team that was without Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving, but allowed Brooklyn its biggest comeback since joining the NBA in 1976

The Pelicans are dead last in the NBA with a 56.2 team effective field goal percentage allowed, as they are second to last in opponents three-point shooting on the highest volume in the league and have only marginally better numbers inside. Adams doesn't provide much offensively but is a big loss on defense and as Williamson's defensive game is still developing Ayton could have a field day here.

Having a veteran leader like Paul will be critical to steady an otherwise young team following the brutal loss to Brooklyn. Phoenix is currently top 10 in rating on both sides of the ball and is too good not to take advantage of New Orleans' glaring weaknesses and grab a road win by more than one possession here.

[ShelC]

It wasn't the biggest blown lead in team history tho. We lost to the Kings after being up by 28 right? That was the CWeb/Vlade Kings way back IINM.

[Indy]

It wasn't the biggest blown lead in team history tho. We lost to the Kings after being up by 28 right? That was the CWeb/Vlade Kings way back IINM.

And I thought we blew a lead close to that against the Warriors back when the Ws sucked. I think it was Cotton's memorial/ROH game.

[Split T]

Who watched the end of the game last time we played the Pels? I shut it off early but I heard Ayton defended Zion well...do we just put Ayton on him? Might need to see more 2 big lineups to keep Hernangomez from killing us on the boards though.

[Indy]

I watched it but was so disappointed in our play that I am probably not a good judge of how putting Ayton on him worked.

[Indy]

So I just looked it up. When Ayton and Zion were both on the court in the 4th quarter, Ayton was a -12 and Zion was a +12...

[bajanguy008]

Who watched the end of the game last time we played the Pels? I shut it off early but I heard Ayton defended Zion well...do we just put Ayton on him? Might need to see more 2 big lineups to keep Hernangomez from killing us on the boards though.

He did OK
Maybe if I watched it back I might take issue with some things but in the moment, the fact that Zion had some kinda resistance just seemed like a Damn Finally !! moment
If DA head is in the clouds, can Zion probably cook him too ? Guess that's likely but in that game because he had the size mismatch all game the switch made him adjust at first

[bajanguy008]

As expected

[bajanguy008]

And as the fans chanted his name hroughout the desert
Monty heard their cries and all was good in the Valley as MV-Frank returns lol

[carey]

Jesus. That loss to the Nets had zero to do with that. Our second half defense was brutal.