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The OKC Thunder will make a short trip to the Smoothie Kings Center on Wednesday to take on the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder are coming off consecutive wins for the first time this season, while the Pelicans enter the matchup on a seven-game losing streak.
Fresh from beating the LA Lakers at the Staples Center last Thursday, the Thunder followed that up with a huge win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at home. OKC were down big early, but they came back to beat the Spurs 99-94.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans lost their seventh straight game on Monday, against the Dallas Mavericks. New Orleans were up after the first quarter, but the Mavericks regained their composure to overwhelm the Pelicans 108-92.
Match Details
Fixture: OKC Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans | NBA Season 2021-22.
Date & Time: Wednesday, November 10th; 8:00 PM ET (Thursday, November 11th; 6:30 AM IST).
Venue: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA.
OKC Thunder Preview
The OKC Thunder entered the season as one of the contenders to finish last in the NBA standings. The Thunder are a young team, and are in a rebuilding phase. However, they are currently on a two-game winning streak, and could make it three in a row against the struggling 1-9 New Orleans Pelicans.
In their 99-94 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Thunder overcame another huge deficit to get the victory. They had beaten the LA Lakers twice this season, coming back from 26 and 19-point deficits, respectively. OKC Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault praised his young team after their victory against the Spurs.
"The stuff that really stood out to me is the physicality of the game and the competitiveness that we played with, especially in the second half. The fact that we could recognize in real time in the game that we needed to amp it up and then did it on a pretty quick turn," Daigneault said after the game.
Key Player - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the franchise star for the OKC Thunder. They gave him a five-year, $172 million extension in the summer. Gilgeous-Alexander has repaid them with averages of 22.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game this season.
The 23-year-old star had an off night against the San Antonio Spurs. Gilgeous-Alexander only put up 14 points after shooting 5 of 16 from the field. However, he helped the Thunder by getting his teammates involved. He finished the game with nine assists.
If the OKC Thunder want to extend their winning streak to three, they will need their best player to score more than 14 points to beat the New Orleans Pelicans.
OKC Thunder Predicted Lineup
G - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; G - Josh Giddey; F - Lugeuntz Dort; F - Darius Bazley; C - Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.
New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The New Orleans Pelicans are off to a really poor start. They own the worst record in the NBA this season, winning just one of their 11 games. The Pelicans lost their seventh straight game on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks. They were without Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, who are their two best players, due to injuries.
The Pelicans kept the game close in the first quarter and even had the lead entering the second. However, the Mavericks easily erased the Pelicans' lead, and pulled away in the fourth quarter. Pelicans head coach Willie Green, who is in his first year, told reporters after the game that the experience will help his team in the long run.
"It’s part of what we have to go through as a team. No excuses, but we’re not healthy. We’re not whole. We really don’t know what we’re going to look like, but I believe this experience for all these guys is so valuable," Green said.
Key Player - Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is part of the young core of the New Orleans Pelicans. He is expected to have a breakout season, and so far he is averaging 13.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He's also shooting just 25.3% from beyond the arc.
Alexander-Walker had 18 points and four assists in his team's loss to the Dallas Mavericks, but he shot 2 of 11 from the three-point line. If the Pelicans have any chance of ending their losing streak, Alexander-Walker has to end his slump and have a great game against the OKC Thunder.
New Orleans Pelicans Predicted Lineup
G - Devonte' Graham; G - Nickeil Alexander-Walker; F - Josh Hart; F - Garrett Temple; C - Steven Adams.
Thunder vs Pelicans Match Prediction
The OKC Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans is an interesting matchup against two of the bottom teams in the Western Conference. The OKC Thunder are in their rebuilding phase, while the Pelicans are without two of their best players in Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Oklahoma City are on a winning streak and have momentum, so the Thunder might take this win over the Pelicans.
Where to watch Thunder vs Pelicans?
The OKC Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans game will be streamed live on the NBA League Pass. Local fans can watch the game on Bally Sports Oklahoma and Bally Sports New Orleans.
Guess the Lakers players!
