Recap: Thunder at Pelicans

By Nick Gallo and Paris Lawson | okcthunder.com

The Thunder addressed some recent opportunities for growth in New Orleans by getting off to a better start and making in-game adjustments on the glass and with its interior defense. The Thunder also sustained it’s downhill, ball movement style of play deep into the game, giving the team a chance in the final moments to squeak out what would have been another double-digit comeback. 

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl buried a massive 3-pointer inside the final minute of action to take a 101-100 lead, but Pelicans forward Zion Williamson responded with a three-point play on the other end. A late block/charge call went against the Thunder, as did a potential eight-second violation on New Orleans. OKC ran out of time as a result, and fell 105-101. 

Paris: The Thunder’s versatility at the five-spot is shining through on the offensive end in the early going. New Orleans’ big man Jonas Valanciunas has been stretched to the perimeter on nearly every possession to contest a 3-point look from either Jeremiah Robinson-Earl or Aleksej Pokuševski – both of which have taken advantage of the slow closeout and knocked down a triple in the first six minutes of action. 

Nick: Quick hit ahead passes to Jeremiah Robinson-Earl really hurt New Orleans in the opening minutes of the first quarter as the Thunder jumped out to an 11-4 lead. Robinson-Earl caught the ball in the corner and immediately hit a 3, then a possession later he attacked a close out and scored on the move. The plays were set up by Robinson-Earl doing a nice job sprinting the floor and being ready to make a play. Robinson-Earl scored five of his 10 points in the first quarter, and the Thunder racked up six of its eight fast-break points in that frame too. 

Nick: Great teammate instincts by rookie Jalen Williams and Aleksej Pokuševski in the second quarter to find an open 3 for one of their open guys. After Kenrich Williams missed a 3-pointer right out top, Jalen corralled the offensive board and kicked it right back to Kenrich, who nailed the second crack at it from nearly the same spot. A few possessions later it was Pokuševski who smartly slapped a long rebound back out instead of trying to grab it himself. The redirect was aimed straight at Tre Mann, who buried the catch-and-shoot 3. The Thunder racked up eight offensive rebounds in the second quarter alone, part of 18 in the game and the 16th time in 21 games the Thunder has had double-digit offensive boards this season. 

Paris: In the back half of the second frame, OKC’s Josh Giddey and New Orleans’ Dyson Daniels took the floor against each other. The two Victoria, Australia natives made history as the first two NBA Academy teammates to play against each other in the NBA. Daniels and Giddey grew up together and even played together as youngsters and the two played for the NBA Global Academy Canberra. There are currently three players in the NBA that are alumni of the NBA’s Global Academy: Daniels, Giddey and Benedict Mathurin from the Pacers. 

Paris: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl caught the ball at the top of the key with just four seconds remaining in the shot clock. The versatile big attacked Jonas Valanciunas and used a quick spin move to get an advantage. With a clear lane to the basket, Robinson-Earl elevated and threw down a two-handed slam – his seventh dunk in the last six games. By the end of the night, Robinson-Earl logged 10 points and 13 rebounds for his fourth-career double-double and first of the season. 

Solid sequence to end the third quarter by the Thunder who trailed by nine points. It started with an offensive foul drawn by Lu Dort with just over 30 seconds left. On the following possession, the Pelicans blocked a shot by the Thunder, but Dort stuck with the play, deflecting a pass by Garrett Temple that fell into the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA quickly scooped up the loose ball and snapped it back ahead to Dort who finished a reverse layup. On the final possession of the quarter, Jalen Williams blocked the shot by Devonte’ Graham at the end of the buzzer. 

Paris: In just his second game back in the Thunder rotation after being recalled from the OKC Blue, rookie Ousmane Dieng put together solid minutes on Monday night. Beyond his six points and three rebounds, the rookie demonstrated his competitiveness on the defensive end. He used his length to register a pair of blocks and also deflections on two separate possessions that led to a Thunder steal. 

Nick: Jalen Williams stands in there and takes an offensive foul in the middle of the lane, giving the Thunder its fifth offensive foul drawn in the game and 72nd on the season in just 21 games. Lu Dort drew three of those five fouls, adding to his team-leading 30 offensive fouls drawn this season. 

The Thunder got a late flurry of 3s, one from Pokuševski on a kick-out from Gilgeous-Alexander, then another one a possession later on a pass from Dort to Gilgeous-Alexander for a wide open look from the top of the key. Those catch-and-shoot 3s are a huge weapon in the Thunder’s arsenal, especially given how much the team is in the paint and is driving downhill. OKC leads the league in drives per game and paint touches, so generating those types of looks, especially for hot shooters like Pokuševski (42.6 percent from 3 on the season) and the NBA’s fourth-leading scorer in Gilgeous-Alexander is ideal offense late in games. 

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl on the team defense…

“I think we did a good job together just being in our shell early. Obviously, we have a lot of talented players and so it gives us a lot of confidence be able to guard guys one-on-one when we know we have people behind us helping us out. I think it was a great team effort on the defensive and tonight to help us throughout the game.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the offensive effort down the stretch…

“We tried to do the right thing for the most part. That’s what you can ask for especially late down the stretch. Sometimes thinks don’t go your way but try to do the right thing, try to be aggressive and come out on the right end of the stick.”

The Thunder returns home to Oklahoma City for a day off before hosting the San Antonio Spurs in Paycom Center. The matchup will be OKC’s final home game for the next two weeks as the team will set out on a five-game road trip – the longest of the season.