• Anthony Davis (back spasms) remains listed as day-to-day. An update on his status will likely occur during Monty Williams’ pregame media availability at 5:15 p.m.
• The last time these teams faced each other, Phoenix point guard Goran Dragic rang up a career-best 40 points against New Orleans. Pelicans guard Tyreke Evans on the keys to trying to slow down the quick southpaw: “We remember that game. We want to make him pass the ball and keep him out of the paint. He does a good job of getting into the paint and finishing around the basket.”
• Evans said he will be spending some of his offseason back in New Orleans to work on his game. Evans would like to improve his mid-range jumper, as well as his three-point shot. “I think it’s just more repetition,” he said. “Just touching the gym every day, getting the shots up. Once you get it down, that’s when you know you’ve got it. I’m going to get in the gym and work hard this summer.”
• Evans on Phoenix’s impressive turnaround from a team predicted to finish last in the West to a playoff hopeful: “They’ve done a great job. They’ve got guys out there playing hard every night. I know the twins (Markieff and Marcus Morris) from the Philadelphia area – they’re playing great. Their team plays hard. We’ve got to be ready tonight, especially in the fast-break game. They like to run like Denver, especially at home.”
• Suns guard Eric Bledsoe missed the Feb. 28 game vs. New Orleans due to injury, but was a pivotal presence in his team’s two November victories over the Pelicans. He’s back in action after missing 30-plus games. “(Bledsoe and Dragic) in the backcourt come at you every second,” Evans said. “A made basket (or) a missed basket, they come at you. They want to attack.”