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Phoenix Suns Face Setback at Smoothie King Center Against New Orleans Pelicans

The Phoenix Suns, with a 16-10 record, faced off against the New Orleans Pelicans who held a 17-8 record at the Smoothie King Center. The game concluded with a score of 117-128 in favor of the home team.


NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 9:  Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball during the game against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 9, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns started strong, leading by as much as nine points during the game. Their offensive efforts were highlighted by sinking half of their field goal attempts and an impressive three-point shooting performance, making 22 out of 44 attempts from beyond the arc. This sharpshooting contributed to an effective field goal percentage of approximately 63 percent for the Suns.


Despite their offensive output, the Suns struggled on defense, allowing the Pelicans to score 72 points in the paint compared to their own 38. The home team capitalized on turnovers as well, scoring 23 points off turnovers while limiting Phoenix to just ten. Furthermore, while both teams had similar possession numbers around a hundred each, it was New Orleans who made more out of these opportunities.


NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 9: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans grabs the rebound against the Phoenix Suns on December 9, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)

The bench contribution was another area where there was a stark difference between both teams; while Phoenix's bench added 29 points to their total score, New Orleans' reserves poured in an impressive 56 points. Additionally, rebounding proved crucial in this matchup with Phoenix grabbing a total of 46 rebounds—eight offensive and thirty-seven defensive—compared to New Orleans' tally of fifty-two rebounds which included thirteen offensive boards.


Key players for Phoenix showed up with significant contributions across various statistics including assists where they racked up thirty throughout the game but also turned over the ball seventeen times which affected their assist-to-turnover ratio negatively.


NEW ORLEANS, LA - DECEMBER 9: Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans on December 9, 2022 at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2022 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)

As fans look ahead after this tough loss on road soil for Phoenix Suns supporters will be eager to see how their team responds in their next challenge. The upcoming fixture will see them travel again as they face off against New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on December eleven at eight-thirty PM local time. Fans can catch all action live on BSAZ channel six-eight-six or follow along through other broadcast networks available that day.

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