Again within the NBA playoffs for the primary time since 2019, the largest query hanging over the Western Convention’s youngest-ever No.1 seed was whether or not the lights can be too shiny.
Whether or not the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder’s youth and inexperience would present up within the worst time attainable.
At instances on Monday afternoon it did, with uncharacteristic errors and a sure nervy power to Oklahoma Metropolis’s recreation towards the New Orleans Pelicans.
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But it surely was rookie duo Chet Holmgren and Cason Wallace who got here up with two of the largest performs of the sport because the Thunder survived a scare, defeating the Pelicans 94-92.
First, Holmgren blocked Larry Nance Jr. as New Orleans got here up empty regardless of hauling in three straight offensive rebounds earlier than a pesky Wallace poked the ball out on the Pelicans’ last possession of the sport as he defended the rather more skilled C.J. McCollum.
“He was superior,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned of Wallace.
“He stood in there, two-point recreation. We didn’t need to go double in that state of affairs. He nearly received the ball. Lot of strain, clearly took them out of what they had been doing.
“They received a clear look due to the second bounce, good lesson there. However I believed we had been aggressive tonight.”
With it, the Thunder went 1-0 up within the collection, though the Pelicans can take loads out of Monday’s recreation contemplating how shut they received regardless of being with out Zion Williamson.
Trey Murphy III led the way in which in scoring with 21 factors for the Pelicans whereas Jonas Valanciunas dominated on the boards with 20 rebounds.
McCollum, in the meantime, had 20 factors however struggled from deep, going 2-of-9 within the defeat.
In the meantime, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made just a few clutch baskets down the stretch as he completed with a game-high 28 factors whereas Holmgren’s block on Nance was considered one of 5 from the previous No.2 total choose, who additionally had 15 factors and 11 rebounds within the win.
Josh Giddey had a tough taking pictures night time as he went 1-of-6 from the sector for 2 factors to go along with three rebounds and three assists whereas fellow Australian Dyson Daniels solely performed three minutes.
Giddey was responsible of an early turnover however was lively off the ball as he minimize in direction of the basket within the lead-up to a Holmgren 3-pointer that opened the scoring.
The Pelicans doubled Gilgeous-Alexander on that possession, leaving Holmgren to make them pay from deep, though he missed his subsequent 4 area purpose makes an attempt as New Orleans took a 9-7 lead into the primary timeout.
The Thunder had been 3-of-10 from the sector at that time, with Valanciunas scoring 4 fast factors for New Orleans, though Brandon Ingram was scoreless early after being locked down by a bodily Lu Dort.
Nonetheless, generally even that isn’t sufficient, as Kenrich Williams realized after Ingram hit a troublesome shot over him to make his first shot of the night time late within the first quarter.
The Pelicans had contained Gilgeous-Alexander early within the interval however OKC’s celebrity guard, who was named considered one of three MVP finalists on Monday, began to actually get going as he completed the quarter on a game-high 9 factors.
There was nothing separating the 2 groups after the opening quarter, with OKC and New Orleans tied at 17-all.
The Thunder rapidly went forward as Jalen Williams drove to the left and hit a jumper from his favorite spot on the left elbow inside 13 seconds of the second quarter beginning, prompting Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced to name a swift timeout.
The timeout appeared to spark one thing within the Pelicans, who outscored the Thunder 11-2 to take a 28-21 lead as Trey Murphy III made a fast pair of 3-pointers.
OKC was capable of get the sport again degree once more at 33-all, seeing Inexperienced name one other timeout with 5:07 on the clock within the second quarter.
Nothing might separate the 2 groups at halftime both although, tied up at 43-all with Gilgeous-Alexander main the way in which on 11 factors whereas Chet Holmgren had seven factors, seven rebounds and three blocks.
The problem for Holmgren and the Thunder basically was competing with the dimensions and physicality of Valanciunas, who had 10 rebounds within the first half.
Neither group was taking pictures it nicely from downtown, sitting across the 25 per cent mark, whereas there was minimal distinction when it got here to factors within the paint too.
The Thunder did outscore the Pelicans 11-2 in fastbreak factors however New Orleans had the clear benefit in second-chance factors (16-2), grabbing six offensive rebounds in comparison with two for OKC.
The seesawing nature of Monday’s collection opener continued within the third quarter because the Thunder jumped forward 48-45 after a Dort 3-pointer and Williams bounce shot, solely to fall behind after the Pelicans scored 5 fast factors of their very own.
The Thunder finally began to interrupt away as they went on an 11-0 run, capped off by Giddey’s first factors of the sport as he drove to the basket for the end.
However as soon as once more it didn’t take lengthy for the Pelicans to cut back the deficit, scoring 5 straight factors to get again to 59-55.
Like clockwork, Oklahoma Metropolis once more opened up at 10-point lead early within the fourth quarter as Daigneault introduced Gilgeous-Alexander into the sport for Giddey to attempt to put the sport away.
However as a substitute two steals from Naji Marshall helped get the New Orleans offence stepping into transition as a pair of fast 3-pointers noticed the Pelicans get it again to a three-point recreation.
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New Orleans then went up 90-88 after a pair of uncharacteristic Gilgeous-Alexander turnovers, prompting Daigneault to name a timeout with 3:34 on the clock.
An errant Gilgeous-Alexander cross then noticed the Thunder celebrity flip the ball over once more, though the MVP candidate later made a clutch bucket to tie the sport heading into the ultimate minute.
Second-chance factors damage the Thunder within the opening half and threatened to deliver the highest seed undone late because the Pelicans grabbed three offensive rebounds within the house of 15 seconds, solely to overlook their first two pictures earlier than Holmgren blocked Nance Jr. on the third.
Gilgeous-Alexander then stepped up for the and-1 to provide OKC a three-point lead earlier than CJ McCollum buried a big-time shot to make it a one-point recreation with 26 seconds left.
The Pelicans opted to foul Holmgren, who made considered one of two free throws, after which took a timeout with the possibility to arrange for a possible game-winning shot.
McCollum although, having put New Orleans able to win the sport, misplaced the ball and recovered to get a very good take a look at 3 however missed because the Thunder celebrated their return to playoff basketball with a victory.