The NBA playoffs are in full swing, and today's focus battle is staged, with the Pelicans facing the Thunder. The Pelicans, who had suffered a double kill before, urgently needed to be humiliated at home, while the Thunder tried to win this victory to consolidate their advantage and directly enter the second round. The game was full of gunpowder from the start, with Ingram and Murphy combining for four points to lead, but the Thunder were not far behind, and Alexander and Wallace responded quickly to stabilize the situation. At the end of the first quarter, the Thunder had a narrow lead. Entering the second quarter, the Pelicans were close for a while, but they were opened up by the Thunder because of the offensive mute. At halftime, the Thunder led by 14 points, showing the style of a Western giant.
At the beginning of the second half, CJ hit a three-pointer to open the Pelicans' counterattack, and the scene was hot for a while. However, the Thunder's response was more swift, with three-pointers from Dort and Chet springing up, and Alexander was not to be outdone, scoring consecutive points to help his team extend its lead. Despite the Pelicans' efforts to close the gap, the Thunder's offense was surging like a tide, and by the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans had trailed by 16 points.
Heading into the final quarter, the Thunder's offense did not weaken, and Jayway and Giddey teamed up to extend the lead to more than 20 points. Although the Pelicans tried their best to turn the tables, Ingram and CJ had a cold hand, and they hit the iron again and again at critical moments, which put the team into a scoring drought. In the end, the Thunder defeated the Pelicans with a score of 106-85, bringing the overall score of the series to 3-0 and moving on to the next round with one foot.
In this game, three of the Thunder's players scored in double figures, reflecting their balanced firepower on the court. Despite Alexander's poor shooting percentage, his all-around performance — 24 points, five rebounds, eight assists, four steals and one block — demonstrated his value as the team's core. In contrast, Chet, who didn't score much, contributed four blocks on the defensive end, showing how important he is on the defensive end.
On the Pelicans' side, the performance of the two core players is really unsatisfactory. Although Ingram scored 19 points, which looks like a good number, his disappearance at a critical moment makes people question his leadership qualities. CJ's performance was even more disappointing, with only 7 of 22 shots in the game, extremely inefficient, and a series of mistakes at critical moments, which became a burden to the team.
In addition to these two, the rest of the Pelicans' players played as well as they should. Murphy and Jones contributed 10 and 15 points respectively as 3-and-D players and had good plays on the defensive end. Jones, in particular, with seven rebounds and two steals, his energy and defensive ability are integral to the Pelicans. On the bench, Nance Jr. also showed his value, with 13 rebounds and 9 points, which is an important support for the team's interior line.
The result of this game was not only a numerical victory, but also a strategic victory. The Thunder's coaching staff has clearly done a better job of tactical set-up and player rotation. They targeted the Pelicans' scoring points while being quick and accurate in their offensive and defensive transitions. On the other hand, the Pelicans, although they have good roster depth, lack a solution to the problem in key moments.
Going forward, if the Pelicans want to turn the tables around, they must address the slump in their core while finding a more effective scoring strategy. And for the Thunder, if they continue to maintain this kind of team chemistry and execution, they will be a very tricky opponent in the next games.
While fans are looking forward to more exciting matchups, the next step for both teams will be crucial. The Thunder are expected to continue their winning path, while the Pelicans face significant challenges and reflections. For basketball fans, it's a game that's both exciting and lesson-filling.
Disclaimer: The information in this article comes from the Internet, which is not guaranteed to be completely correct and is for reference only.