Pelicans Host Suns In Key Western Conference Matchup For Playoff Seeding

New Orleans, LA - The New Orleans Pelicans (45-29) host the Phoenix Suns (43-31) Monday night in a crucial game for Western Conference playoff positioning. With the Mavericks victory on Sunday, the Pelicans fall to No. 6 in the current playoff standings. Pheonix is right behind New Orleans in the seventh position, just two games behind the Pels in the standings. Phoenix won the only matchup between these teams this season earlier in January.

New Orleans is currently on a six-game homestand, where they are 1-2 after dropping Saturday's game to the Boston Celtics. The Pelicans are once again without Brandon Ingram, who is still recovering from a hyperextended knee. Backup guard Jose Alvarado also will miss the game with a right oblique injury. The Pelicans have struggled to score the basketball lately, which is not a recipe for success against the high-powered Suns.

Phoenix has the third-highest-scoring duo in the NBA, with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for over 57 points a game. Booker has torched the Pelicans recently, scoring 56 and 52 points, respectively, in his last two games versus New Orleans. Phoenix's third option, Bradley Beal is finally healthy, and the Suns have an 18-10 record when their full starting five plays.

The Suns are Top 5 offensively in a few key categories, including field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and free throw attempts per contest. New Orleans welcomed back one of their best defensive players, Dyson Daniels, on Saturday versus the Boston Celtics. Daniels finished with two points, assists, and two steals in his first action back since February. With the absence of Ingram and Alavrado, he will shoulder more of the ball-handling role in the offense.

Pelicans forward Zion Williamson continues to make a strong case for being recognized as an All-NBA team. Williamson is two games shy of the 65-game requirement necessary for NBA recognition. In March, Zion averaged over 24 points per game on 62% shooting, his best field goal percentage in any month this season. New Orleans finished 10-4 in March because of Williamson's dominance inside. He averages the second-most points in the paint per game in the league. Phoenix is middle-of-the-road stopping opponents in the restricted area, so New Orleans will have opportunities to score down low.

The Pelicans have just eight games remaining in their regular season and are fighting desperately to avoid the Play-In game for the third straight year. They have three games remaining in this home stand, before heading on the road for four straight games.