KEY POINTS

  • Charles Barkley believes that the Suns will win their series versus the Pelicans
  • Chris Paul exploded for 19 points in the fourth quarter to secure the Game 1 victory
  • The Pelicans fought back in the third quarter to make the game even more competitive

In true playoff tradition, NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley boldly declares that the Phoenix Suns will have an extremely easy time with the New Orleans Pelicans in the opening round.

Following the Suns’ stellar 110-99 victory over the Pelicans, Barkley issued one of his patented guarantees on Inside the NBA.

“The (Phoenix) Suns are going to beat the (New Orleans) Pelicans. You always think that you have a chance to win, but I don’t care who wins. The Suns are going to whoop these boys, plain and simple. Guarantee,” Barkley proudly proclaimed.

It seemed as if the Suns were going to run away with the victory after taking a 19-point lead into halftime, but the Pelicans showed their resolve as soon as the opening whistle of the third quarter blew, cutting the lead to just eight points entering the fourth.

However, Chris Paul reminded everyone why he still remains an elite point guard at age 36.

Paul exploded in the fourth quarter with a stellar 19-point performance with three three-pointers to hold off the Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum-led Pelicans in Game 1.

Speaking with Inside the NBA after the game, Paul commented on his performance to fuel the Suns’ win.

“[Devin] Booker’s our guy, he’s our go-to guy. I spent most of the game setting my teammates up and try to make sure that they’re going. Just because I don’t shoot often doesn’t mean I can’t shoot. It was just a good game for us,” Paul said.

The Suns were carried by their big four of Paul, Deandre Ayton, Devin Booker and Mikal Bridges who combined for 87 points with Sixth Man of the Year finalist Cameron Johnson chipping in with 13 points off the bench.

Few believe that the Pelicans can dent the Suns’ seemingly impenetrable armor after setting the league on fire to the tune of 64 wins in the regular season, but having Jonas Valanciunas support Ingram and McCollum’s offensive outbursts with his rebounding will make this series an interesting one to watch.

Game 2 between the Suns and Pelicans is on Tuesday, April 19 at 10:00 PM at Footprint Center in Phoenix.

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