OKC fends off late push and beats New Orleans on the road

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in the first half and survived a late setback in the second half for a 119-109 road win.

Based on the first four minutes of the first quarter, it appeared New Orleans had no chance of winning. OKC got off to a 10-0 start, with star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring six of those first 10 points. At the halfway point of the quarter, New Orleans scored just five points compared to Oklahoma City’s 20.

The first half belonged to Gilgeous-Alexander. He scored 23 points in the half and missed just one of his nine shot attempts. He basically got everything he wanted to drop in and had excellent shot selection. His other backcourt player, guard Jalen Williams, also had a great first half. He scored 16 points on an efficient 6-for-9 half.

New Orleans tried to gain some ground early in the third quarter, but every time they took a shot, OKC responded. Dejounte Murray scored the first five points to open the half, which didn’t seem to matter at that point.

After a hot first half, Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t called as much in the second half. He only scored eight points in the second part of the game and finished the game with 31 total. However, without his performance in the first half, this defeat would not have happened. Because of the large lead, the Thunder didn’t have to use their best players, which limited the minutes Gilgeous-Alexander and Co. played in the second half.

Murray’s quick scoring streak in the second half would prove beneficial later in the game, scoring 13 goals in the third quarter. He finished the night with 26 points on 8-for-15 shooting and did his best to keep the score close. His point totals were a combination of mid-range scoring and attempts around the rim.

Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams scored most of the goals, but center Isaiah Hartenstein was a force on the glass. He grabbed 12 rebounds against Yves Missi, New Orleans’ physical rookie center and former Baylor Bear. Missi scored just eight points and was limited in the paint. Hartenstein scored 12 points himself, surpassing him in this area. Oklahoma City also led the Pelicans in total rebounds, grabbing 45 while the Pelicans only grabbed 35 rebounds.

The Thunder continued to maintain their lead, even though the lineups were different than usual. OKC pushed a lineup of Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Williams for most of the quarter. During that time, the Pelicans made a small run by hitting two three-pointers in a row and putting two more at the rim. Senior defender CJ McCollum and forward Herb Jones contributed the most to narrowing the lead in the fourth quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the entire fourth quarter until the six-minute mark, with New Orleans Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault giving a reason why. He didn’t contribute much to the result, scoring just four points after checking in, but his overall presence was important in finishing the game. The late push certainly spooked the Thunder, but OKC still managed to hang on and win.

The Thunder improved to 18-5 after the win and will face the Dallas Mavericks at home in an NBA Cup match on Tuesday, December 10 at 8:30 p.m. CT.

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