Oklahoma City, OK – After a very exciting game 1 in OKC that came down to the last shot of the game, the Thunder look to take a 2-0 series lead over the Pelicans on Wednesday night.
Game 1 didn’t have a lot of offense but both teams put on a defensive clinic. It was clear that both teams would need to adjust to try and open up the offense a lot more. Even though the Pelicans are a very good defensive team, it would be a little easier for them to open up their offense because most of the shots came on very open looks. Game 1 is a much different game if either team hit their open looks and both teams knew that could change in game 2.
Andthe Thunder were the team to hit their shots.
The Pelicans didn’t really adjust to trying to stop the Thunder from getting to the paint without giving up open threes. Thunder got the same looks but this time they hit them. They also did a great job of speeding up the game. Making the Pelicans play at a faster pace than they want to made them take rushed shots on the offensive end which weren’t particularly good looks.
OKC looked like a completely different team when they’re hitting shots and that showed on the scoreboard taking a 35-22 lead after the opening quarter.
The second quarter started with the same energy and effort on both ends of the floor building their lead to 18 Burt the Pelicans are a tough team and fought back getting it to single digits. Thunder offense looked a little disjointed with some settling and it allowed the Pelicans to get back in the game.
Thunder ended the half really well though. Settled back down and used their defensive energy to spark their offense and build their lead back up double digits taking a 63-60 lead into the half.
The third quarter got a little more physical but the Thunder handled it well. They did a good job of settling into the physicality by increasing theirs though it did come at a small cost of sending Brandon Ingram to the line eight times in the quarter. OKC didn’t falter though. They kept their composure and increased their lead going into the fourth up 92-74
After a good first few minutes of the fourth, it was clear the game was over. Thunder built up their lead to as many as 34 and it was time to get ready for game 3. The Pelicans really didn’t make many adjustments on the defensive end and with the job they were doing on Ingram and CJ McCollum, they couldn’t keep up with the offense.
Thunder coasted to a 115-84 victory to take a 2-0 series lead as this now heads to New Orleans.
Here are the reasons for the win
Pace
The team who controlled the pace of this series would have full control. Game 1 was a little slower than the Thunder wanted and it was the complete opposite in game 2.
OKC did a great job of playing with good pace. Increased pace. They beat the Pelicans defense up the floor almost every single time. Getting stops helps but they got stops in game 1 and didn’t play this fast. It seemed as if they made a concerted effort to play faster Wednesday night.
Not only did it help their offense but by playing faster, the Pelicans tried to match and it’s not what they are used to. They are used to playing much slower and getting into their sets, using a lot of pick and roll to get to their spots, and using Jonas Valanciunas post ups. For most of the night, the Pelicans took rushed shots and it was clear they weren’t used to it.
This trend will need to be something the Thunder take on the road if they want to end this series soon.
Lu Dort on BI
Lu Dort played excellent defense on Brandon Ingram in game 1 and if you can believe it he played better in game 2. Looking at the boxscore and seeing Ingram’s stat line, you may not believe he played better but that’s why you have to watch games.
The job that Lu did on Ingram was nothing short of spectacular. Ingram only took 10 shots in game 2 and it wasn’t because he wasn’t trying to be aggressive. He just couldn’t get shots up. No clean looks for him at all. Lu Dort fought over all screens, stayed in Ingram’s face all night, and didn’t give him any room to operate.
The Thunder defense as a whole was great. One of the biggest differences in both of these games was how the Pelicans switched virtually everything for no real reason while the Thunder fought through all screens. If the Thunder don’t have that mentality, Ingram and McCollum easily get to their spots and this series could look much different.
The job Lu did on Ingram though, allowed the other guys to be more aggressive on the defensive end and it gave them a little more urgency to be more locked in while guarding the other guys. The team defense is impeccable.
Actuaally hitting shots
Guys say it time and time again, this is a make or miss league. Both teams missed a lot of good looks in game 1. Thunder were the team to hit shots in game 2.
That changed everything for them. It was that simple. They punished the Pelicans for switching every screen, the player movement off ball was improved, and they played with better pace. All of that led to hitting more shots.
When the Thunder play like this on both ends of the floor they’re hard to beat and they can make things very interesting in the playoffs.
The Thunder were led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who had 33 points and 5 assists, Chet Holmgren who added 26 points and 7 rebounds, while Jalen Williams had 21 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds. It’s the first time a trio of Thunder players had 20 or more in a playoff game since 2016. Lu Dort’s defense wasn’t the only thing that shined as he added 15 points and Josh Giddey contributed 13 points and 6 rebounds.
This series will head to New Orleans Wednesday afternoon with the Thunder looking to go up 3-0.
