"Pelicans sending Ingram to China": NBA fans let Pelicans hear it after Thunder sweep Brandon Ingram and crew

The OKC Thunder completed their first playoff sweep since 2012 after disposing of the New Orleans Pelicans in Game 4, 97-89. The Pelicans had no answer to the Thunder’s onslaught starting Game 2, especially with their only healthy star Brandon Ingram not able to tow the Pelicans to a win.

During the regular season, Brandon Ingram averaged 20.8 points, 5.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds and shot 49.2% on nearly 16 attempts per game, including 35.5% from the 3 on nearly four attempts per game.

However, in the playoffs, his numbers dipped to 14.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He shot 34.5% on 13.8 attempts and 25.0% from the 3 on 2.0 attempts per game, leading to jokes from fans suggesting that he should be sent to China.

One Thunder reporter jokingly suggested that Ingram would be content to go to Cancun or Galveston, as Charles Barkley had suggested, as long as he was away from Lu Dort, who effectively clamped him throughout the series.

“Brandon Ingram gonna be happy to go to Cancun or Galveston or just anywhere that Lu Dort isn't,” Brandon Rahbar said.

Barkley's joke about Galveston came after Game 3 as he implied that the Pelicans' performance didn't warrant a fun offseason on the beaches of Cancun.

“We're not even going to send them to Cancun. We're gonna send them to Galveston, where that dirty a** water be washed up on the shore. You people think they're at the beach. We're not gonna send you to Cancun.”

Here are other jokes about sending the Pelicans to Galveston:

Fans want the Pelicans sent to Galveston

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Thunder make history with Pelicans sweep

After their 97-89 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Oklahoma City Thunder became the youngest team in NBA history to win a playoff series, with an average age just over 23 years. Their oldest player, Gordon Hayward, is 33.

Their starting lineup features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (25), Lu Dort (24), Jalen Williams (22) and Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren, both 21.

Cason Wallace, a 20-year-old rookie, received the most minutes off the Thunder bench in their series against the Pelicans. He was followed by 25-year-old Aaron Wiggins and 24-year-old Isaiah Joe.

Despite concerns about their youth in the playoffs, the Thunder demonstrated their prowess by decisively defeating the Pelicans, holding them to scores of 92, 92, 85 and 89 points across four games.

They await the winner of the tied series between the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks in the second round.