The highly anticipated matchup between the Thunder and Pelicans did not disappoint as both teams battled fiercely until the final buzzer. The game was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to establish a significant lead. The Thunder came out strong in the first half, but the Pelicans fought back in the third quarter to take a slim lead.
In the fourth quarter, both teams traded baskets and defensive stops, keeping fans on the edge of their seats. With just seconds remaining, the Pelicans managed to hold off a late surge from the Thunder to secure a narrow 94-92 victory.
During the three contests between these two teams in the regular season, Oklahoma City came out on top in two of them. The only matchup that New Orleans won came in the first two weeks of the season, when the Pelicans came back from down by 22 points to get a late victory.
 Zion Williamson will miss at least the first four games of this series with a left hamstring strain he suffered in a game earlier this week. Even without him in the lineup, this is a quality Pelicans team that will be looking for revenge after the Thunder eliminated them from the postseason a year ago during the NBA’s Play-In Tournament.
The Thunder represents the youngest No. 1 seed in the history of the NBA and enjoyed a week off waiting to draw their opponent from the NBA Play-in tournament. Without knowing their matchup until Friday night the Thunder only had one day to truly install a game plan for the New Orleans Pelicans (49-33).
Pelicans who emerged victorious with a narrow 94-92 win over the Thunder. The game served as a reminder of just how competitive and unpredictable NBA games can be, keeping fans on their toes until the very end.
The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 94-92. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists while Chet Holmgren (15 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks) and Jalen Williams (19 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists) totaled 34 points. Trey Murphy III led the Pelicans with a Playoffs career-high 21 points and 5 3PM as CJ McCollum (20 points, 6 assists) and Jonas Valanciunas (13 points, 20 rebounds) added 33 points.
Read more
2024 NBA playoff picks: Indiana Pacers 94-109 Milwaukee Bucks Rangers 4-1 win over Capitals in Game 1
Sarah H
Also on site :