The battle for superiority in the fiercely competitive Western Conference has seen both the New Orleans Pelicans and the Phoenix Suns elevate their position in recent weeks.

After the controversy over the Cowboys retaining Mike McCarthy, both teams have managed to secure victory in eight of their last 11 games and are now gearing up to face each other in New Orleans on Friday.

“Precisely close and intensely competitive in the Western Conference,” commented Pelicans coach Willie Green on Thursday. “We keep taking it one game at a time and assessing our standing after each game.”

New Orleans, amid hosting two more Western Conference contenders during their ongoing homestand, has demonstrated significant improvement in their 3-point shooting following previous inconsistencies. Following this test against the Suns, the Pelicans are set to go up against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday and the Oklahoma City Thunder the following Friday.

In their recent 132-112 victory over the Charlotte Hornets, the Pelicans set a franchise record by making 25 3-pointers and shooting at an impressive 53.2 percent from beyond the arc. This performance came just two days after they attempted only 23 shots from 3-point range in a 125-120 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. During that game, they managed to make just seven shots from long range.

“We’ve been operating at a rapid pace and exhibiting great strength on offense,” Green stated. “The way we’ve been driving and creating opportunities for 3-pointers has been outstanding.”

The addition of rookie first-round pick Jordan Hawkins has proven to be a significant boost to the Pelicans’ outside shooting, which already includes marksmen CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy III. Hawkins, who delivered a season-high 34 points in a victory against the Mavericks, contributed six 3-pointers on nine attempts against the Charlotte Hornets and totaled 21 points.

“He exudes confidence, possesses a swift release and dedicates himself to improving his shooting,” commented McCollum about Hawkins. “He’s an astute player, knows how to locate open spaces, shoot when the opportunity arises, and drive when necessary.”

The Suns also showcased a historic 3-point display in their recent game, with Grayson Allen tying a franchise record by making nine 3-pointers in a tight 119-117 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night. This marked the second time in six games that Allen, acquired from Milwaukee in an offseason trade, managed to make nine long-range shots.

“He’s been consistently making nine 3-pointers every other game, so I wasn’t expecting that,” said Phoenix head coach Frank Vogel, chuckling. “In many aspects, he’s actually a better shooter than we had anticipated. His ability to take the ball to the hoop and make plays is remarkable, and he’s arguably better defensively when guarding top opponents, which has been incredibly valuable for us.”

Allen attributed his success to “impressive offensive plays and excellent ball circulation.”

“A large portion of them were as a result of the defense collapsing and creating opportunities,” Allen added. “The majority of the shots were assisted.”

The Suns found themselves trailing by 22 points against the Kings with less than nine minutes remaining, but then staged an incredible 23-4 run.

“We’ve experienced firsthand that in today’s NBA, teams are never truly out of a game,” observed Vogel.

Phoenix All-Star forward Kevin Durant, who secured the deciding points with two free throws just 1.8 seconds before the end, found it challenging to articulate the reason behind the turnaround.

“I’m unsure,” Durant admitted. “I usually have a sense of how the game is flowing, but I felt like everything was a blur. It all happened so rapidly.”