Thunder Beat Pelicans with Ease
On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder took on the New Pelicans in game two of their series in the first round of the NBA playoffs. The Thunder, who won Game One by a narrow margin after Pelicans guard CJ McCollum missed a buzzer-beater, came into Game Two of the series ready to play. In a high-scoring matchup, they cruised to a 124-92 victory over the Pelicans. The Thunder’s strong offense, led by stellar performances from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, proved to be too much for New Orleans to handle all night long.
The Thunder set the tone early, shooting a scorching 59.0% from the field and connecting on 48.3% of their three-point attempts. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the charge with a game-high 33 points on 13-of-19 shooting, while rookie sensation Chet Holmgren added 26 points, showcasing his versatility with a nine-of-13 shooting display, including three triples. Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey also contributed significantly, combining for 34 points and orchestrating the Thunder's offense with ten combined assists. The Thunder's bench provided valuable support, with Kenrich Williams and Isaiah Joe chipping in eight and six points, respectively.
On the other hand, the Pelicans struggled to find their rhythm offensively, shooting 45.2% from the field and a mere 26.9% from beyond the arc. Despite solid performances from Brandon Ingram and Herbert Jones, who both scored 18 points, and a strong showing from Jonas Valanciunas with 19 points and seven rebounds, the Pelicans couldn't keep pace with the Thunder's relentless attack. While the rest of New Orleans' bench failed to make a significant impact, Naji Marshall was the lone bright spot off the bench for the Pelicans, contributing ten points in 25 minutes of play. While the Pelicans no doubt wanted to win this one, they will now head into Game Three of the series with a must-win mindset as things head to New Orleans. Can the Pelicans win Game Three?
