Thunder vs. Pelicans
The Thunder, as the dominant team in the West, did not give their opponents the slightest chance in the first round series against the Pelicans. In the course of the G1 matchup, they rejected the Pelicans' late comeback to take a two-point lead and win the playoffs. In the G2 battle, the Thunder's starters even ushered in a full-scale outbreak, completing a wave of 32-point victory, thus successfully beating the series to 2-0. Realistically, the Thunder have become the league's most anticipated youth workhorse.
Of course, the Pelicans were beaten to the point where they were unable to fight back, and there were some injuries that affected them. Their top pick, Zion, was injured in the previous play-offs and will be sidelined for at least a week or two, essentially missing the team's first-round series. That's right, according to a report from Shams of the Athletic, even if Zion is able to return, he will have to wait until the second-round series. In this G3 battle, the Pelicans still did not stabilize the situation, allowing the Thunder to complete a 21-point victory with a total score of 106-85, thus winning the match point with a score of 3-0.
Specific competition
The fierce battle between the Thunder and the Pelicans was staged as scheduled, and the players of both sides were evenly matched on the court like beasts descending the mountain. The score comes and goes, like clouds in the mountains, sometimes swallowed by thunder, sometimes recaptured by pelicans. The Thunder players are both inside and out, like a thunderbolt, constantly impacting the Pelicans' defense. At the beginning of the second quarter, the two sides were still deadlocked, as if they were engaged in a silent contest. However, the Thunder suddenly seemed like a tiger awakening, and three consecutive three-pointers were like a thunderous blow, instantly stretching the difference to double digits. At halftime, the Thunder led 60-46 and showed strong dominance.
In the second half, the Thunder still maintained the initiative on the court, and they once again used three consecutive three-pointers to expand their advantage, like a mountain rain about to come and the wind filled the building, overwhelming the Pelicans. Although the Pelicans tried their best to score inside, they still looked weak in front of the Thunder. In the final quarter, the Thunder continued to exert force, like a flood beast, playing a 10-2 offensive and widening the difference to more than 20 points. At this time, the pelican has gone and has no power to return to the sky. In the end, the Thunder defeated the Pelicans again 106-85, leading 3-0 in the overall score and successfully getting the match point.
epilogue
It is worth affirming that the big score of the series came to 3-0, and the Pelicans almost no longer had the possibility of letting three chase four, and they could basically announce the early end of the season. And Zion, the champion who has always wanted to make a comeback, should also recuperate from his injury with peace of mind, and must accept the reality that the team will not advance to the second-round series. Looking back at the game's stats, Ingram shot 7-of-14 from the field and had 19 points and four rebounds. McCollum also had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 7 assists, and Jones, who handed over 15 points and 7 rebounds, could only enter the empty slash group helplessly.
On the other hand, on the Thunder side who won the match point on the road, four of the five players they started the game scored in double figures. During this period, Alexander played 37 minutes, shot 8-of-20, delivered 24 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists and 4 steals, and his contribution on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends should not be underestimated. At the same time, Williams also contributed 21 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists, as well as Giddey, who handed over 21 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. In addition, Dort, who was born in the draft, also had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.