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With Game 2 of the New Orleans Pelicans' 2022 NBA Playoffs first round series against the Phoenix Suns scheduled for Tuesday night, all eyes will be on the Western Conference's no. 1 seed as they attempt to increase their lead over New Orleans to two games. However, the underdog Pelicans, who perhaps advanced further than anyone anticipated, could steal a game on Phoenix's home court and make the series interesting. Ahead of the Pelicans-Suns game, we'll be making our Pelicans NBA Playoff predictions.
The Pelicans were defeated 110-99 in Game 1, as the Suns' combination of Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton proved to be too much for New Orleans to handle. Each of the Pelicans' three best players- Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and Jonas Valanciunas- suffered from subpar shooting nights as New Orleans posted just a 37.9 percent shooting mark from the field. There's no question that New Orleans will need a better offensive night if they want to compete with Phoenix.
But will the Pelicans be able to break through against the Suns, who field one of the NBA's best defenses? If they are able to, this 2022 NBA Playoffs first round series could get a lot more interesting. That said, let's move on to our Pelicans bold predictions.
New Orleans Pelicans NBA Playoff Game 2 Predictions
3. Jonas Valanciunas helps the Pelicans dominate the glass once again
There weren't many positives to take from the Pelicans' NBA Playoff Game 1 loss to the Suns. However, one area New Orleans really excelled in was the rebounding battle. While the Pelicans wasted many offensive possessions with their poor shooting night, they were able to have significantly more offensive opportunities than the Suns, who they outrebounded 55-35, including a whopping 24 offensive rebounds. Center Jonas Valanciunas had 25 rebounds all by himself, which was nearly as many as the entire Suns team. If the Pelicans can hit the glass like that again in Game 2, they'll put themselves in a great position to win. Look for Valanciunas to put up monster rebound numbers once again as the Pelicans push the Suns around in the paint.
2. CJ McCollum bounces back with a 30-plus point game
CJ McCollum is the Pelicans' go-to scorer and perhaps their best player. However, he hasn't been himself in the last two games since leading the team to a victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA's Play-In Tournament. The former Portland Trail Blazers guard has since fallen into a slump, shooting just 36.7 percent from the field in his last two games. Clearly, that isn't going to cut it against an elite-level team like the Suns. McCollum has recorded 18 games with 25 or more points in his playoff career. He will add to that collection on Tuesday night with a strong performance from the field- and beyond the arc.
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1. The Pelicans steal an NBA Playoff win in Phoenix
Everyone in the NBA thinks the Suns will make quick work of the Pelicans. While New Orleans certainly wasn't impressive in Game 1, they managed to claw back from a deficit as large as 23 points. With a better shooting performance from New Orleans, Game 2 could be a lot closer. In fact, the Pelicans could even steal Game 2 from Phoenix and head back to New Orleans with the series tied.
