NEW ORLEANS — As the local crowd filed out, traveling OKC fans began to take over the Smoothie King Center in the final minutes. Loud ‘Let’s go Thunder!’ chants echoed throughout the mostly-emptied arena following another dominating performance by the West’s top seed.
The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a lopsided 106-85 Game 3 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday. It puts OKC up 3-0 in its first-round series of the 2024 NBA playoffs and one win away from advancing to the second round for the first time since 2016.
“I thought New Orleans was ready to play, I thought we were ready to play,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the playoff win. “I thought our physicality — again, our defense, focus on that end of the floor — was really, really good. Made them earn everything. I thought that set the tone for the game.”
The start of this contest looked eerily similar to Game 1. Both offenses struggled to score as the Thunder held a 23-19 lead following the first quarter. This was likely the brand of basketball the Pelicans hoped to play entirely as they’ve struggled to put up points. It was their only viable game plan to collect wins in this series.
Alas, that strategy only lasted a quarter.
The second frame was a much different story for OKC. It totaled 37 points as a 20-7 run ballooned its lead to double-digit points. The Thunder entered halftime with a commanding 60-46 lead. The second half provided little drama as OKC held a double-digit lead for most of the latter two quarters.
A 25-point third frame by the Thunder gave them an 85-69 lead after three quarters. The final frame was stress-free as OKC limited New Orleans to 16 points on its way to a blowout victory.
The Thunder shot 48% from the field and went a hot 17-of-36 (47.2%) from 3. They had 27 assists on 40 baskets. Four Thunder starters scored double-digit points and were all plus-10 or better in the lopsided win.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting, eight assists and four steals. Josh Giddey had 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Jalen Williams totaled 21 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Chet Holmgren had six points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
“When you have success, it’s easy to kinda take your foot off the gas and not pay attention to those details,” Williams said on their mindset heading into Game 3. “… I think that 0-0 mindset is something we lean on. The last two games, even this game now, doesn’t matter. We just kinda try to take that approach. Every time we play, it’s a totally new game.”
Meanwhile, the Pelicans simply don’t have enough offensive power without Zion Williamson. They shot 38% from the field and went 9-of-32 (28.1%) from 3. They committed a season-high 20 turnovers and only four Pelicans players scored double-digit points. Through three games this series, they’ve averaged 89 points.
Brandon Ingram was limited to 19 points on 7-of-14 shooting and four rebounds. CJ McCollum was held to 16 points on 7-of-22 shooting and seven assists. Jonas Valciunas only logged 12 minutes before being benched in the second half.
The Thunder are now up with an insurmountable 3-0 lead. As most know, no team in league history has ever returned from that deficit. OKC will have a chance to receive ample rest between playoff series if they complete the sweep in Game 4.
“They’re gonna swing away, we’re gonna swing away,” Daigneault said. “You’re gonna land some punches, you’re gonna take some punches. You just gotta be a tough-minded team that plays through the full 48. They’ve done that in every game.
“They’re a competitive team, they’re a tough team. We’re gonna have to continue to withstand that if we want to continue to have success.”
Let’s look at Thunder player grades.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: B-plus
It was a second straight playoff contest where the Thunder didn’t need Gilgeous-Alexander to carry the offensive load and be burdened with high-stress minutes. A massive luxury they’ve afforded with back-to-back evenly-distributed offensive outings.
In 37 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 24 points on 8-of-20 shooting, eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. He shot 1-of-5 from 3 and went 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. He finished a plus-22.
The jumper didn’t fall at a high clip, but Gilgeous-Alexander successfully attacked the basket on his drives. He managed to get to the free-throw line at a decent rate and mustered points in a low-scoring outing.
The 25-year-old had a strong first half of 15 points to push OKC’s lead to 14 points at halftime. He contributed in the second half of a relatively short night as the Thunder blew out the Pelicans for the second straight time.
“They were amazing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said about the Thunder fans. “Towards the end, it felt like a little bit like a home game. The fans were good. They traveled, we loved them, giving us that support. We appreciate it, gives us that energy.”
Jalen Williams: A
On the opening play, Williams drove to the basket and was raked across the face. The second-year wing immediately fell to the ground in obvious pain. The Thunder were forced to call a timeout 33 seconds in to check him out.
It was an unfortunate start for the Thunder. The thought of being without their second-best scorer in the playoffs sent shivers down the spine of the collective fanbase. Thankfully for OKC, he returned before the end of the first quarter and had a monster outing.
In 35 minutes, Williams finished with 21 points on 9-of-16 shooting, nine rebounds, five assists and two steals. He shot 3-of-4 from 3 and was a plus-22.
Williams kept attacking the Pelicans’ interior defense with success. From outside, all three of his outside makes were from the right-wing spot. He returned from his eye injury and had a productive second quarter of eight points. A 13-point second half by Williams helped push OKC past New Orleans for the Game 3 win.
“We’ll enjoy this for the next hour or two and then after that, it’s back to work,” Williams said.
As Pelicans fans flocked, crowd barks became audible. Williams played a major role in the dog bark entrenched in the Thunder fans’ lore. After the game, the fan-favorite discussed the special bond the Thunder and OKC share.
“The barking is insane, I’m not gonna lie,” Williams said. “That’s been really special. I think there’s been lot of comparison with us and that 2012 team. The fact we can kinda have a different vibe from that team — who was really special — is cool…
“It’s been really cool connection. It’s something we don’t take for granted. We talk about in the locker room all the time. It’s really special that kinda cling onto us and do the barking and we try to pay that forward.”
Josh Giddey: A
After a so-so pair of first two games, Giddey turned in his best outing yet against the Pelicans. Just like in last season’s play-in tournament, the 21-year-old looked like one of the best players on the court.
In 31 minutes, Giddey finished with 21 points on 8-of-13 shooting, eight rebounds and six assists. He shot 4-of-7 from 3. He was a plus-15.
The outside shot falling certainly helped as it forced the Pelicans to rethink their strategy of sagging off him. The third-year guard played a role in finally playing Valanciunas off the floor in the second as the Pelicans turned to Larry Nance Jr. for little success.
He was part of a hot shooting night from outside for OKC. If Giddey makes his 3-pointers, that adds a new dimension of scoring for the Thunder. An eight-point fourth quarter helped put the final nail in the coffin for the Pelicans.
“They’re a tough team, they’re a talented team,” Giddey said on their offensive outings the last two games. “I thought that first game, we were rusty. We didn’t shoot the ball particularly well. Our offense was a bit stagnant. We spoke about those things after the game. We made adjustments going into Game 2, we made adjustments going into tonight. We were able to execute those pretty well.”
Lu Dort: A
Before the series started, Dort was seen as a potential X-factor for the Thunder. If he could limit the Pelicans’ best scorers and have a hot shooting series, that could dramatically shift the odds toward OKC.
Through three games, that’s what’s happened. Dort has blanketed Ingram and turned him into a nonfactor for the Pelicans. On offense, the outside shots continued to hit for the 25-year-old. He’s added more chapters to his mythos of being a postseason riser.
In 39 minutes, Dort finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 shooting, four rebounds and three assists. He shot 4-of-8 from 3 and was a plus-13.
The veteran starter had the sequence of the night with three straight 3-pointers to create a personal 9-0 run in the second quarter. That ballooned OKC’s lead from four to 13 points with a little under three minutes left in the first half.
If the Thunder advance, Dort is arguably the series MVP. He’s been a menace on both sides of the floor and gives OKC one of the strongest starting lineups in the league when he has it going like this.
“As good as he was with the shooting, what he’s done defensively this series has been outstanding,” Daigneault said about Dort. “We need more of it obviously in the next game but he was really, really good on that end again… He’s just a competitive monster. Plain and simple.”
Chet Holmgren: B-plus
Trying to create momentum, multiple Pelicans players tried to energize the crowd by attempting to posterize Holmgren. Instead, the seven-footer got the better end of each bang-bang play.
In 33 minutes, Holmgren finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting, eight rebounds and four blocks. he shot 1-of-4 from 3. He was a plus-11.
The 21-year-old roamed the paint with sharpened rim-protection skills. He played a major role in the Pelicans’ struggle to score 85 points. A halftime change of starting center from Valanciunas to Nance Jr. did null against Holmgren.
It was an outstanding performance by Holmgren where a quiet scoring night shouldn’t overshadow his contributions to OKC’s 3-0 series lead.
“I thought he dominated his minutes. He was outstanding. Especially at the rim,” Daigneault said about Holmgren.
