Phoenix vs New Orleans: The Pelicans will break their beak on the Suns' defence

Phoenix reached the finals last season and now the Eastern Conference winner begins their road to the playoffs with a game against New Orleans. Can the Suns get their 1st win of the series? 

The Suns took care of their players at the end of the season, as they had secured not only a playoff berth, but also 1st place in the Western Conference long before the finish. Devin Booker, for example, had missed 2 of his previous 5 games, so it should come as no surprise that in 6 games Phoenix suffered 4 losses. Monty Williams' men lost to Sacramento State 109-116 in their last game. Landry Shamet scored 27 points and was the highest scorer of the game. Now Shamet is suffering from health problems and his participation in Game 1 against New Orleans is questionable. Dario Saric and Abdel Nader remain in the injured reserve, although they have been seldom on the floor. The Suns have a long bench and it's possible to replace the missing players.

The Pelicans started the current season with 12 losses in 13 games, but the team accomplished the feat and made the playoffs. One of the key contributors to their success has been C.J. McCollum, who since being traded to New Orleans has averaged 24.4 points and 5.8 assists. Not to mention the contributions of Jonas Valanciunas and Brandon Ingram, but Zion Williamson spent the entire championship doing nothing more than throwing in the towel on the bench. Zion is still in the infirmary and is unlikely to play in the playoffs. Kira Lewis Jr. also remains out of the picture, but the return of Larry Nance Jr. near the end of the season added depth to the New Orleans roster.

In the play-in game, Willie Green's men defeated San Antonio (113-103) and the Clippers (105-101). Against Los Angeles, New Orleans fumbled in the third quarter, losing their big lead. All told, the team made only 6 3-pointers, 4 of them in the final 12 minutes. C.J. was abysmal this time, hitting just 9 of 24 shots from the field. The big man of the game was Brandon Ingram, who scored 30 points.

New Orleans had a big problem with trebles last game, and it will be even tougher against Phoenix. The Suns have one of the best defenses at the arc in the league and they will certainly not let C.J. McCollum turn around. The home team has had time to rest, while the Pelicans have recently played two games in a row. The visitors were poor defensively at the end of the regular season, holding Chris Paul and company will be much harder than the Clippers without Paul George. I suggest betting on the following outcomes:

• Phoenix Handicap (-10.5) for 1.91;
• Total Over 223.5 for 1.88;
• C.J. McCollum: Total Under 24.5 points for 1.82.