How to Watch Pelicans-Suns Game On Saturday
The New Orleans Pelicans currently own the second-best record in the Western Conference and the Phoenix Suns own the fourth-best record in the Western Conference. They will play one another for the fourth and final time this season on Saturday night.
Winning two of their three meetings against the Suns this season, the Pelicans have seemed to take the next step as a franchise.
Barely sneaking into the playoffs via the Play-In Tournament a season ago, New Orleans looks like a team that could very much contend for the top spot in the conference.
With Brandon Ingram out the last three weeks due to a toe injury, the Pelicans have not skipped a beat and Zion Williamson has held things down with his magnificent play. Through seven games this month, Zion is averaging 30.1 points, 9.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists while shooting 62.4 percent from the floor.
Not only has Williamson played well, but Trey Murphy III has really stepped up off-the-bench for this team, Jose Alvarado has continued to make a name for himself and Larry Nance Jr. has been a terrific change-of-pace big man for this team.
New Orleans has some of the best depth in the league and on the other side of things, the Suns depth has been greatly challenged this season.
Devin Booker is a fantastic player, but he can only do so much for Phoenix, especially given all the injury concerns they have had to deal with. Chris Paul has only been back for five games since missing a chunk of time due to a heel injury, Cameron Johnson remains out due to a meniscus injury and now Deandre Ayton is dealing with an ankle sprain.
The Pelicans have had all the answers this season when playing the Suns, but they have been unable to beat them on the road this year. Will this change on Saturday night in the desert?
Here is how to watch Saturday night’s game with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Pelicans vs. Suns
- WHO: New Orleans Pelicans (18-10) vs. Phoenix Suns (17-12)
- WHEN: 9:00 p.m. ET, Friday, December 17, 2022
- WHERE: Footprint Center, Phoenix, Arizona
- TV: NBA TV
- Stream: Fubo.tv CLICK HERE
Key Stats & Facts For Pelicans vs. Suns
- The New Orleans Pelicans are coming off of a 132-129 OT loss on the road against the Utah Jazz.
- The Phoenix Suns are coming off of a 111-95 win on the road against the Los Angeles Clippers.
- The Pelicans are 6-7 on the road this season and the Suns are 12-3 at home.
- The Suns are one of the league’s top passing teams, as they are averaging 27.4 assists per game this season, the third-best mark in the league.
- New Orleans has won two of their three meetings against Phoenix this season, outscoring the Suns by three points in the season series.
Last Matchup:
December 11, 2022 - Pelicans 129, Suns 124 F/OT
Behind Zion Williamson’s 35 points and 8 rebounds, the Pelicans were able to top the Suns in overtime, but overall, this game was extremely close. New Orleans outscored the Suns 70-64 in the paint, they outscored them by 8 points from the free-throw line and they outrebounded the Suns 43-42. As a team, the Pelicans shot 58.1 percent from the floor in regulation and overtime combined. Phoenix was without Devin Booker in this game and as a result, Deandre Ayton stepped up with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
Latest Injury News:
Pelicans: E.J. Liddell (knee - ACL) - OUT, Brandon Ingram (toe) - OUT, Jose Alvarado (rib) - PROBABLE
Suns: Jae Crowder (not with team) - OUT, Duane Washington Jr. (hip) - OUT, Cameron Johnson (knee) - OUT, Cameron Payne (foot) - OUT, Deandre Ayton (ankle) - OUT
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED PELICANS STARTERS:
- G CJ McCollum, 6-3 guard: 17.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.6 assists
- G/F Trey Murphy III, 6-9 guard/forward: 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds
- G/F Herb Jones, 6-8 guard/forward: 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds
- F Zion Williamson, 6-6 forward: 25.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists
- C Jonas Valanciunas, 6-11 center: 13.0 points, 9.1 rebounds
PROJECTED SUNS STARTERS:
- G Chris Paul, 6-0 guard: 10.7 points, 9.1 assists
- G Devin Booker, 6-5 guard: 26.9 points, 4.7 rebounds , 5.8 assists
- F Mikal Bridges, 6-6 forward: 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds
- F Torrey Craig, 6-7 forward: 8.3 points, 5.2 rebounds
- C Bismack Biyombo, 6-8 center: 3.3 points, 3.5 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Suns are currently 3.5-point favorites over the Pelicans as of Saturday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 229.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The Pelicans currently rank 5th in the league in offensive rating and 5th in the league in defensive rating.
- The Suns currently rank 3rd in the league in offensive rating and 9th in the league in defensive rating.
- Phoenix is 37-34 all-time against New Orleans.
- The Pelicans are currently averaging 117.4 points per game this season, 5th in the NBA, and the Suns are allowing an average of 110.7 points per game to their opponents, 8th in the NBA.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
