Will the best rebounder in the playoffs strike again?
The New Orleans Pelicans await the Phoenix Suns for Game 6, with the home side looking to even the series with a win in their final home game. They can take heart from the win in their last game at home.
New Orleans Pelicans – Statistics & current form
The Pelicans lost the last match due to a weak start in the game. Because of this they were always running behind and in the end it was not enough for another win with 97:112.
NOLA is now under enormous pressure in the upcoming game. In the do-or-die game, only a win counts, otherwise the series would be lost.
On the offensive side, the hosts will once again rely on Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum. Together, the two players have averaged 51.6 points per game in the 2022 NBA Playoffs!
Phoenix Suns – Statistics & current form
Head Coach Monty Williams’ troops pulled themselves together after a poor fourth game of the series and earned a deserved win. Especially Chris Paul was noticeable that he wanted to make up for his previous off-day.
The “Point God” recorded a double-double with 22 points and eleven assists. In addition, Mikal Bridges has been reliable lately.
The small forward recently recorded the best scoring output of all players on the court in Phoenix with 31 points and set a new personal record for this season.
In addition, no player of the visitors is on the hardwood longer per game: More than 41 minutes in the case of the 25-year-old in the postseason so far.
New Orleans Pelicans – Phoenix Suns Tip
The Arizona basketball team will look to advance to the next round of the postseason with a win over the Pels. For Game 6 between the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, however, the tip is aiming for more than 12.5 rebounds by Jonas Valanciunas for the home side.
So far, the Valley franchise has not been able to get a good grip on the centre. The 29-year-old, for instance, posted an average of 15.6 boards against the runners-up in the series.
In addition, Valanciunas only missed a double-double in terms of points and rebounds in one of the five playoff games.
Here, it can be noted that his form has picked up in the past two games after a brief dip in scoring, at least, in the second and third games of the series after a very impressive opener.
Furthermore, the opponent basically suits him: During the regular season, the “Big Man” delivered an average of 14.8 boards in four meetings!