Box Score |Play-by-Play
The Thunder ended a rare losing streak at two games, fending off the Pelicans for a comfortable but hard-fought win at home. Oklahoma City's players outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally shot well enough to reward their defensive standard of excellence ("and company" converted 49.1% from the floor, 37.1% from three), with role players and co-star Chet Holmgren earning the win in the decisive stretch of the third and fourth quarters.
Still down a group of injured players who could be starters competing for a playoff berth on their own (Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein), OKC turned in another admirable defensive performance while surviving a lopsided turnover and rebounding deficit.
Final: Thunder (38-10) def. Pelicans (12-37), 104-95
Nuggets and Notes
OKC’s sputtering offense picked up right where it left off: in the ditch. The Thunder missed their first eight shots, rushing into quick, so-so looks without moving the ball. They waddled ahead to close the first quarter of an NBA game in the year 2026 up 17-14.
I've noticed the offense-challenged Thunder trying to find quick opportunities through transition or the half-court of late, which makes sense. But when capable playmakers like JDub, Ajay and *Shai aren't the ones hunting for early looks in the half court, the results ain't pretty. OKC had a 65.4 ORTG and blistering 104 pace in the first. They enjoyed a 126.1 ORTG playing at a slug's pace (93.3) the last three quarters.
*The Wolves will start face-guarding Shai as soon as the team plane lands in Minnesota. This is our new normal until the injury sheet clears up.
Shai and Isaiah Joe delivered enough offense to cling to a 48-46 first half lead. SGA worked hard for each of his 29 points (8-22 FGA, 13-14 FTA), and each of Joe's 11 first half points splashed like water in the desert.
Chet Holmgren (20 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks) was awesome. Chet is still improving. Read more below.
Shai shook most of the Pelicans going coast to coast midway through the third, jumpstarting OKC’s best stretch of the night.
Those carefully managed fourth-quarter rests for Shai may have been more necessary than we knew. His minutes have crept upward over the last five, and he logged 35:50 in this one.
The Pelicans’ starting lineup should be ominous for trade-hungry fans: Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Saddiq Bey are the archetypal 3-and-D wings fans lust after every trade season. But they're major contributors on a team that stinks.
Murphy did his best to lower his trade value, using the greenest of green lights to score just 10 points on 20 shots.
Having said all of that, I think Murphy would look great in the greener pastures of Oklahoma City (but he'd need a yellower light for his shot selection). I'll never be totally sober from trade machine temptations.
Related: New Orleans just grabbed another offensive rebound. They had 21.
Yves Missi was a beast inside for the Pelicans, punishing OKC’s frontcourt with explosion and strength. Thank goodness he only played 21 minutes--he racked up 9 points, 4 blocks, and 3 offensive boards.
New Orleans runs some of the least sophisticated offense you’ll see in today’s NBA. They just have enough scoring talent to juice their offensive numbers.
You know it’s hard times when you’re relieved to see Branden Carlson is available. FYI: Carlson has 17 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal.
Jaylin Williams made the layup, but looked like he tweaked his hip going to the rim again in the second quarter. Aaron Wiggins crashed into a cameraman on a transition hustle play soon after. Both were fine. But, please. Guys. I’m begging you, do not to get hurt.
If you're a masochist, here's five straight Thunder offensive trips without Shai, Ajay, or JDub for you to enjoy. Wiggins, Lu Dort, Ousmane Dieng, Chet, and J-Will put together some truly brutal possessions. OKC stabilized after Mark Daigneault called timeout to sub SGA and Joe back in.
The cleanest Thunder look above was brought to you by: Murphy the Third. I'm the unfazed, bizarro Doc Rivers.
Dieng is competing, and keeps showing these flashes of two-man chemistry with Holmgren. But he's just not polished or physical enough to hang. Had Dieng finished this play I would've been less distraught over this stepback brick later on.
Whispers:Ousmane Dieng is younger than Ajay Mitchell.
Brooks Barnhizer is still out there off-ball screening about four guys per possession like the new guy at pickup.
Those early season fourth-quarter rests for Shai may have been more necessary than we knew. He played over 10 minutes in the final frame, and nearly 36 for the game.
Now we're even. There was a blatant missed backcourt no-call on Ajay Mitchell against the Rockets a couple weeks ago. Tonight, J-Will was whistled for a bogus backcourt violation on what should've been an excellent Thunder hustle sequence in the fourth.
It feels magical when second-chance offense breaks OKC’s way. After New Orleans trimmed a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to five, Kenrich Williams found Wiggins for a timely corner three to push the lead back to eight. That bomb halted New Orleans' last real push.
J-Will recorded four blocks, but Holmgren still had to one-up him with five.
Dort knocked down four threes for the second straight contest. He's made three or more from distance in five of OKC's last seven games.
The final minute devolved into a J-Will-versus-the-world affair with double technicals and chippy exchanges between Williams and Bey. Tensions flared after the horn as Dort grabbed Jeremiah Fears and sparked a bench-clearing non-brawl.
One Key Takeaway: Chet Playing Taller
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