The OKC Thunder welcomed the short-handed New Orleans Pelicans at Paycome Center on Wednesday night. The Thunder played a small lineup for a second straight game with three of their centers out with injuries. The Pelicans, on the other hand, have four of their five starters on the shelf with injuries as well.Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 29 points, five rebounds, five assists, two steals and two blocks. Jalen Williams had a game-high 31 points with six rebounds, seven assists, four steals and two blocks. The duo was no match for the Pelicans as the Thunder earned an easy 106-88 win. Brandon Ingram had a team-high 18 points plus six rebounds and six assists. Yves Messi had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Trey Murphy III added 14 points. The Pelicans lost steam in the second half and barely kept up with the Thunder. New Orleans Pelicans vs OKC Thunder Player Stats and Box Score PelicansPlayersPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOPFMINFG3PTFT+/-Brandon Ingram18661082357-184-80-0-17Yves Missi101020010265-50-00-0-9Trey Murphy III14220013264-122-84-4-2Brandon Boston Jr.81042163313-100-22-2-17Javonte Green2520000261-100-40-2-8Jamal Cain11410011194-52-31-1-14Jeremiah Robinson-Earl5610022241-71-52-2-15Trey Jemison III6820233182-30-02-40Jaylen Nowell8610111264-110-50-2-10Antonio Reeves610000083-50-20-02Daniel TheisDNPJordan HawkinsDNPThunderPlayersPTSREBASTSTLBLKTOPFMINFG3PTFT+/-Jalen Williams316742213110-184-77-713Shai Gilgeous-Alexander295522203312-253-72-318Isaiah Joe0301001220-50-50-0-2Luguentz Dort11312103323-63-52-46Cason Wallace5415002282-71-40-013Adam Flagler300000031-11-10-0-4Dillon Jones210000181-40-20-0-2Malevy Leons000000030-00-00-0-4Ousmane Dieng2100104161-40-10-09Kenrich Williams7100101143-31-10-012Aaron Wiggins10530012244-112-60-013Ajay Mitchell6232002262-40-02-218New Orleans Pelicans vs OKC ThunderThe New Orleans Pelicans came out firing in the first quarter, going on a 7-0 run that ballooned to a 12-point lead at the 7:31 mark. Brandon Ingram and Yves Missi led the team, while Brandon Boston Jr. hit a couple of timely buckets.However, the OKC Thunder were not going away that quickly as they mounted a comeback midway through the period. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept Oklahoma City afloat before the bench corp came in and sparked a 15-point frenzy. The hosts had a 33-28 heading into the next 12 minutes of play.In the second quarter, both teams struggled to score in the first two minutes. The Thunder took a 10-point lead with 4:39 left in the period, but the Pelicans trimmed it to just three with under a minute remaining at the half. Oklahoma City had a 54-50 lead after the first two quarters.The OKC Thunder took control of the game in the second half, outscoring the New Orleans Pelicans 52-38 to get the win. The Pelicans had no answer for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who led the way for the hosts. The duo was simply unstoppable plus the Pelicans barely made shots in the final two quarters.The Thunder improved to 10-2 for the season, which is the best record in the Western Conference. They are also 2-0 since Chet Holmgre suffered a hip injury and was ruled out for eight to 10 weeks.Meanwhile, the Pelicans dropped to 3-9, the second-worst record in the West just ahead of the Utah Jazz. Injuries have depleted New Orleans' roster, with starters CJ McCollum, Dejounte Murray, Herb Jones and Zion Williams all out. Even backup guard Jose Alvarado is on the shelf with an ankle injury.
