By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The young and upcoming Oklahoma City Thunder squad shrugged off any post-season jitters and showed the world that they are ready to compete after handing the New Orleans Pelicans a demolition exhibition, 124-92, to take a sizable 2-0 NBA playoff advantage in the Western Conference on April 25, 2024.
After a great escape that steered them to a close win in Game 1, the Thunder finally broke out of their shell and overpowered the Pelicans on their own home floor in Game 2.
Oklahoma quickly slammed the door on the Pelicans after establishing a 35-22 cushion after the first 12 minutes of the ball game.
Despite the Pelicans fighting back in the following frame, the Thunder’s signature high-octane offensive execution rose to the occasion in the second half as they outscored New Orleans 61-41 in the last two quarters.
NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the Thunder on his back after unleashing 33 big points derived from an efficient 13/19 shooting from the field.
Aside from his scoring prowess, Alexander also had an all-around game for Oklahoma and recorded five assists, three rebounds, and two steals.
Alexander’s crucial scoring when the Pelicans cut the lead to just 12 in the third quarter set the tone for the Thunder.
With Brandon Ingram starting to heat up after piling up 13 points in the third frame alone, Alexander then answered the call and buried consecutive tough jumpers that ballooned their cushion back to 21 points.
The young Canadian superstar then smelled blood in the first five minutes of the final canto as he hosted one final scoring blitz to help the Thunder snatch away the momentum of the game.
It was also a timely scoring avalanche for Alexander as Ingram, New Orleans’ main gunner during that third-quarter stretch, sat out in the first few minutes of the fourth frame.
Without Ingram who had to take a little rest, Alexander just sucked the life out of the Pelicans and capped off the huge playoff win with another 30-point performance.
Chet Holmgren also played huge for the Thunder as he backstopped Alexander with 26 markers, seven rebounds, two blocks, and an assist.
The Pelicans will look to avoid a dangerous 0-3 NBA playoff hole on April 28, 2024, as they meet again with the Thunder for Game 3 of their Western Conference duel.
