The Oklahoma City Thunder leaned on depth and defense to secure a 104-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night at Paycom Center, halting a short skid and maintaining the NBA’s best record.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points as the conference leaders improved to 38-10 despite playing without four rotation players due to injury. The All-Star guard extended his streak of 20-point games to 118, the second-longest streak in league history.
The Thunder opened the game cold, missing their first eight shots, while New Orleans also struggled early. Both teams combined to shoot 4 of 17 to start, setting the tone for a physical game.
Oklahoma City held its own behind defensive pressure and timely shooting before halftime. Luguentz Dort’s three-pointer with 10.9 seconds left in the second quarter gave the home team a 48-46 lead at halftime.
Chet Holmgren anchored the interior and delivered one of his most complete performances of the season. The second-year center recorded 20 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks, controlling the paint on both ends.
The Thunder began to fall apart midway through the third quarter. Holmgren’s three-pointer with 3:38 left in the period pushed the lead to 74-64, while another Dort triple later expanded the margin to 88-73.
New Orleans responded with urgency in the fourth. The Pelicans used a 14-2 run, capped by Jeremiah Fears’ 20-foot bank shot, to cut the deficit to 92-87 and force Oklahoma City to reset.
Dort answered again from deep, hitting his fourth three-pointer of the night to gain breathing room. Isaiah Joe also provided a lift off the bench, scoring 17 points on efficient shooting to close out the game.
Gilgeous-Alexander struggled 8-of-22 from the field, but continually pressured the defense. He went 13-of-14 at the free-throw line and took advantage of New Orleans’ mistake late.
Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 21 points and 11 rebounds on 8-of-11 shooting. Saddiq Bey added 16 points and 13 boards as New Orleans fell to 12-37 despite winning the rebounding battle.
Tensions rose in the final minute as several players exchanged words and physical contact, resulting in technical fouls and a brief confrontation on the field. Officials restored order without evictions.
Oklahoma City finished at 40 percent shooting and held the Pelicans to 34 percent from the field. The Thunder also converted 21 of 23 free throws for a decisive lead in a nine-point win.
The Pelicans host Memphis on Friday, while Oklahoma City travels to Minnesota on Thursday to continue its Western Conference stretch.
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