OKC Thunder shows professionalism in victory over Pelicans

A 20-7 run by the Pelicans made things closer than they had been all night. However, New Orleans’ second-half fun ended in a loss by just ten points. Oklahoma City stormed into the sleepy Smoothie King Center with fans disguised as empty seats and extended its lead to 30 points en route to a resounding 119-109 victory. A game in which there was no change of lead or even a draw beyond the 0-0 start.

This result is not exactly surprising. The Thunder are not only the far more talented team, but they have also had the Pelicans’ number for three years.

The Thunder ripped the ball out of the hands of the out-of-control Pelicans and used transition opportunities to build a huge lead in the first half, starting with an 18-5 run in the opening tip. Oklahoma City scored 60 points in the paint, 28 fastbreak points and made 52.9% of its shots from the floor. Just complete dominance over an exhausted flock of pelican.

While handing New Orleans its 19th loss and relegating the Pelicans to the basement of the Western Conference isn’t all that impressive on paper, the Thunder still deserve credit for taking care of business.

After a 3-1 away game with wins over the Kings, Warriors and Lakers and a narrow loss against the Rockets – the last three games were nerve-wracking – Oklahoma City had the chance to prevail with a relaxed schedule.

The week ahead wasn’t nearly as daunting as the holidays. With appearances against the Utah Jazz, the Toronto Raptors and the New Orleans Pelicans. This is still professional basketball, there are surprises every night. The Denver Nuggets just gave the Wizards their first win since October! (Despite Nikola Jokic’s stunning night)

Coming out of this stretch to a perfect 3-0 with a trio of uncompetitive contests is a huge accolade for a team that not only routinely exudes a 0-0 mindset, but embodies it.

Sure, the second half was chaotic, after a 40-point two-quarter, the Thunder only scored 42 points in the third and fourth frames combined! Yes, Oklahoma City turned the ball over at an alarming rate, with an unusual 18 giveaways befitting the Pelicans’ laxity with the rock.

But the Thunder still covered the spread and controlled the game. Even when Mark Daigneault jumped off the bench to call a timeout to stop New Orleans’ runs, the momentum of the game never felt shifted toward the Pelicans as they couldn’t get closer than nine behind.

For the second year in a row, the Oklahoma City Thunder received an A+ grade for their seven-game schedule. That puts the Thunder’s record at 18-5, good enough to be No. 1 in the West by 2.5 games.

Next up is perhaps the biggest test of the season. An elimination date with the Dallas Mavericks, who have consistently beaten the Thunder in the NBA Cup over the past two seasons, takes place on Tuesday.

Song of the day: Battle of New Orleans by Buck Owens

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