A sweep in the Crescent City
The Oklahoma City Thunder closed out the New Orleans Pelicans, ending NOLA’s season with a 97-89 win. Led by fourth-quarter heroics from Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey, OKC gutted out the Pelicans in a physical, defensive game.
The first quarter was a slog for both teams. At the end of the first frame, both teams had 21 points, with OKC shooting 33% from the field, and New Orleans shooting 34% from the field. No player on either side was able to get anything going including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went just 2-7 from the floor and posted only six points.
Both sides seemed tight, missing easy looks from three that both teams have made all year.
The second quarter brought more of the same. Williams gave OKC’s offense what little pop it had, eventually bringing his halftime total to 13 points behind a few explosive drives to the rim. Gilgeous-Alexander continued to struggle by his standards, missing shots he typically makes in his sleep. Chet Holmgren was in foul trouble for much of the first half, but when he was on the court, his impact was clear to see. It may not have converted to the stat sheet, but his presence as a shot blocker ruined several Pelican possessions.
The defense by both teams swarmed the opposing ball handler, completely shutting down the offense of their opposition with physical defense.
Neither team gained the upper hand in the first half, but due to Williams’ offense, and the defense of Lu Dort and Holmgren, OKC took a slim 44-43 lead into the half.
Once again, the third quarter was about defense. Both teams struggled to get anything going, with fastbreak buckets and Gilgeous-Alexander free throws being the only consistent source of OKC offense.
Dort continued his defensive masterclass on Brandon Ingram, who was a shell of himself for the duration of the series, but it seemed like during the third quarter, everything came crashing down for him at once. Dort was hounding him when he was in, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe both ripped him on the perimeter, and he seemed to miss everything he hoisted toward the rim.
Regardless of Ingram’s performance, New Orleans escaped the quarter with a 71-70 lead after two sloppy fouls to end the third.
The Thunder offense finally began to operate properly in the fourth quarter, and it was led by Giddey. Giddey caught fire from beyond the arc, draining three three-pointers during the most critical stretch of the game. Gilgeous-Alexander finally got to the rim with the ease he typically does, allowing him to finally get his total for the game over 20 points.
Giddey, along with Williams, led OKC on an 18-2 run in the fourth that allowed the Thunder lead to balloon to 11. Giddey made a few fantastic plays on the defensive end to go with his monster threes, while Williams played the role of closer on the offensive end, hitting a couple of huge threes of his own.
That sequence effectively ended the Pelicans season. A tough turnaround jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander gave OKC a ten-point advantage with just over a minute left. The Thunder closed out the sweep in the big easy, and next is a date with the Dallas Mavericks or Los Angeles Clippers.
