After defeating the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 1 of the NBA Playoffs first round yesterday, the Phoenix Suns now have 15 games to win before getting their hands on their first Larry O’Brien trophy.
When viewed through that lens, it puts Phoenix’s title picture into an interesting perspective. The Suns dominated the regular season and their 64 wins even broke a franchise record! But as a result, they only earned themselves one more home game than all their other potential playoff opponents in a seven game series.
In the grand scheme of things, that one extra home game is not that much of an advantage for this team. That one home game may or may not be the deciding factor in any of these playoff series. At the very least, not coasting in the regular season has kept the Suns in peak form as they begin the playoffs.
Regardless, the Suns possess an incredible fanbase, and they recently rewarded it by earning the right to more potential home games than any other NBA team this postseason. Thanks to last season’s unforgettable playoff run, the Footprint Center became an epic home court with the Suns sporting their alternate black uniforms and awesome multi-colored court design.
Many pundits speculated that the New Orleans Pelicans would give the Suns a run for their money in the first round. So far, that speculation has been unfounded. So without further ado, here are three observations from the Suns Game 1 victory over the Pelicans.