The Suns and Pelicans are currently tied 2-2, with the two teams set to play another game on April 27. Booker is not yet able to make a comeback, so the Suns are still paul leading the team, supported by Ayton and others, who are trying to win the match point at home. The Pelicans are in very good shape right now, they have drawn the top spot in the West and want to continue to win, And Ingram, McCollum, Valanciunas want to perform better.
The Suns were in a good situation before, taking home advantage back away from home, but lost the fourth game and the big score was caught up. The Suns hosted the Battle of King's Mountain at home on the 27th, and they struggled to win without Booker. Booker is now affected by a right leg strain and is therefore unable to play in game five. There is news that Booker has improved, but it has not yet met the requirements of the game.
Booker is absent, so the Suns can only rely on Paul to lead the team, and the previous third game is that he led the team to win. Paul played very badly in the last game, scoring only 4 points in the whole game, which is very rare. Back at home, what Paul has to do is to get back the offensive feel, but also to connect more teammates, so that there is hope of winning.
For the Suns, Paul alone can't do it, and they need teammates to stand up more and share the pressure. Ayton, who had 23 points and eight rebounds in his last game, was very efficient offensively efficient and unfortunately failed to help the team win. Back at home, all Ayton has to do is keep up the offensive level so that he can put pressure on the Pelicans while the defensive end is mindful of Valanciunas. Bridges, Crowder, Johnson, McGee, Payne, Shamet and others also have to stand up, and Payne has to share the pressure for Paul.
The Pelicans are in very good shape right now, and it's not easy for them to draw with the Suns. On the road, the Pelicans don't have any pressure, as long as they fight with all their might. The Pelicans also have the potential to win on the road, depending on the state of several of their main players.
Ingram had a great performance in his last game, scoring 30 points and was the key player in the team's victory. In the match against the Suns, Ingram has won 30+ statistics in three consecutive games, which is amazing. In the Battle of Tianwangshan, all Ingram had to do was to maintain the offensive level, which could put a lot of pressure on the opponent. McCollum had a mediocre offensive feel in his last game, 8-of-21 in the game, and the fifth game was King Mountain, so he needed to have a better shooting percentage.
Valanciunas also performed well in his last game, scoring 26 points, 15 rebounds and 4 assists, which is the hero of the team's victory. Against the Suns, valanciunas had to be personally aggressive and disrupt the opponent's interior line, which was also a key factor in winning the game. The Pelicans, along with Jones, Nance, Graham, Alvarado and others, also have to stand up and help the team.
Expected starting lineups for both sides:
Pelicans: McCollum, Ingram, Jones, Hayes, Valanciunas.
Suns: Paul, Bridges, Johnson, Crowder, Ayton.