Thunder 104, Pelicans 95: The Day After Report

Box Score | Play-by-Play

The Thunder ended a rare losing streak at two games, fending off the Pelicans for a comfortable but hard-fought win at home. Oklahoma City's players outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finally shot well enough to reward their defensive standard of excellence ("and company" converted 49.1% from the floor, 37.1% from three), with role players and co-star Chet Holmgren earning the win in the decisive stretch of the third and fourth quarters.

Still down a group of injured players who could be starters competing for a playoff berth on their own (Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein), OKC turned in another admirable defensive performance while surviving a lopsided turnover and rebounding deficit.

Final: Thunder (38-10) def. Pelicans (12-37), 104-95

Nuggets and Notes

• OKC’s sputtering offense picked up right where it left off: in the ditch. The Thunder missed their first eight shots, rushing into quick, so-so looks without moving the ball. They waddled ahead to close the first quarter of an NBA game in the year 2026 up 17-14.
• I've noticed the offense-challenged Thunder trying to find quick opportunities through transition or the half-court of late, which makes sense. But when capable playmakers like JDub, Ajay and *Shai aren't the ones hunting for early looks in the half court, the results ain't pretty. OKC had a 65.4 ORTG and blistering 104 pace in the first. They enjoyed a 126.1 ORTG playing at a slug's pace (93.3) the last three quarters.
• *The Wolves will start face-guarding Shai as soon as the team plane lands in Minnesota. This is our new normal until the injury sheet clears up.
• Shai and Isaiah Joe delivered enough offense to cling to a 48-46 first half lead. SGA worked hard for each of his 29 points (8-22 FGA, 13-14 FTA), and each of Joe's 11 first half points splashed like water in the desert.
• Chet Holmgren (20 points, 14 rebounds, 5 blocks) was awesome. Chet is still improving. Read more below.
• Shai shook most of the Pelicans going coast to coast midway through the third, jumpstarting OKC’s best stretch of the night.

• Those carefully managed fourth-quarter rests for Shai may have been more necessary than we knew. His minutes have crept upward over the last five, and he logged 35:50 in this one.
• The Pelicans’ starting lineup should be ominous for trade-hungry fans: Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Saddiq Bey are the archetypal 3-and-D wings fans lust after every trade season. But they're major contributors on a team that stinks.
• Murphy did his best to lower his trade value, using the greenest of green lights to score just 10 points on 20 shots.
• Having said all of that, I think Murphy would look great in the greener pastures of Oklahoma City (but he'd need a yellower light for his shot selection). I'll never be totally sober from trade machine temptations.
• Related: New Orleans just grabbed another offensive rebound. They had 21.
• Yves Missi was a beast inside for the Pelicans, punishing OKC’s frontcourt with explosion and strength. Thank goodness he only played 21 minutes--he racked up 9 points, 4 blocks, and 3 offensive boards.
• New Orleans runs some of the least sophisticated offense you’ll see in today’s NBA. They just have enough scoring talent to juice their offensive numbers.
• You know it’s hard times when you’re relieved to see Branden Carlson is available. FYI: Carlson has 17 games of eligibility remaining on his two-way deal.
• Jaylin Williams made the layup, but looked like he tweaked his hip going to the rim again in the second quarter. Aaron Wiggins crashed into a cameraman on a transition hustle play soon after. Both were fine. But, please. Guys. I’m begging you, do not to get hurt.
• If you're a masochist, here's five straight Thunder offensive trips without Shai, Ajay, or JDub for you to enjoy. Wiggins, Lu Dort, Ousmane Dieng, Chet, and J-Will put together some truly brutal possessions. OKC stabilized after Mark Daigneault called timeout to sub SGA and Joe back in.

• The cleanest Thunder look above was brought to you by: Murphy the Third. I'm the unfazed, bizarro Doc Rivers.
• Dieng is competing, and keeps showing these flashes of two-man chemistry with Holmgren. But he's just not polished or physical enough to hang. Had Dieng finished this play I would've been less distraught over this stepback brick later on.
• Whispers: Ousmane Dieng is younger than Ajay Mitchell.
• Brooks Barnhizer is still out there off-ball screening about four guys per possession like the new guy at pickup.
• Those early season fourth-quarter rests for Shai may have been more necessary than we knew. He played over 10 minutes in the final frame, and nearly 36 for the game.
• Now we're even. There was a blatant missed backcourt no-call on Ajay Mitchell against the Rockets a couple weeks ago. Tonight, J-Will was whistled for a bogus backcourt violation on what should've been an excellent Thunder hustle sequence in the fourth.
• It feels magical when second-chance offense breaks OKC’s way. After New Orleans trimmed a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit to five, Kenrich Williams found Wiggins for a timely corner three to push the lead back to eight. That bomb halted New Orleans' last real push.
• J-Will recorded four blocks, but Holmgren still had to one-up him with five.
• Dort knocked down four threes for the second straight contest. He's made three or more from distance in five of OKC's last seven games.
• The final minute devolved into a J-Will-versus-the-world affair with double technicals and chippy exchanges between Williams and Bey. Tensions flared after the horn as Dort grabbed Jeremiah Fears and sparked a bench-clearing non-brawl.

One Key Takeaway: Chet Playing Taller