The Thunder were coming into this game on a very hot four-game winning streak. During this four-game winning streak, it seems as if the Thunder can’t do any wrong. The bench has produced at a very high level to help Paul George and Russell Westbrook continue to grow as a dynamic duo. The Pelicans, on the other hand, came into this game not playing their best basketball. The bright spot to the New Orleans Pelicans has always been Anthony Davis who many consider a top 3 player in the NBA.
The Thunder started the game going in the paint to Steven Adams as they tried to dominate the paint early. Steven Adams started out 7-7 from the field before he missed his first shot. The Thunder were feeding Adams in the post since the Pelicans didn’t have a traditional center guarding him. The Pelicans had Anthony Davis but he had his hands full on both ends of the court tonight with Adams. OKC was able to use their muscle in the paint to try to slow down Anthony Davis on the night and it happened for quite some time. Both teams were playing with amazing ball movement and were looking for that extra pass to connect for points. The Thunder were able to continue their good shooting from Washington tonight against the Pelicans as Russell Westbrook was able to get anything he wanted in transition in that first half. Westbrook on the fast break was a true nightmare for Alvin Gentry and his Pelicans. Russell Westbrook was in the passing lanes and was able to create points off of turnovers on the Pelicans. One thing that Westbrook displayed was his explosiveness going to the basket and once he’s in attack mode he’s unstoppable. While Westbrook was getting his game going he was able to get his teammate Paul George more involved looking for him on multiple possessions that turned into 3 pointers for Paul George. The chemistry between Paul George and Russell Westbrook is special and they put on a clinic against the Pelicans defense.
The Pelicans hung around all night and the spark came from Julius Randle who finished the game with 26 points. Every time the Thunder were trying to break away with the lead in the start of the second half Randle would make a big shot. It was a great sign for the Pelicans to see someone else step up to help Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday who both combined for 42 points. The third quarter became very scary for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they witnessed Russell Westbrook try to get a rebound on Anthony Davis’ shot and he came down on Anthony Davis’ foot and turned his ankle. Russell Westbrook was in serious pain and wasn’t able to finish the game as his night ended with 17 points. The whole arena got quiet and patiently waited for more information on the scary fall that Westbrook took. The Thunder, later on, came out and said: “Russell Westbrook has a sprained left ankle”. That gave everyone a sigh of relief because he couldn’t put any weight on the left foot.
After Westbrook left the game with the sprained ankle in the 3rd quarter the Thunder played extremely inspired. Dennis Schroder came in the game taking over for Westbrook and made the best of the moment. Dennis was able to get the team in a position to keep the lead and made some crucial plays that gave OKC the win. Dennis Schroder has improved his shooting from the 3 point line and was even able to slice through defenders for a couple of floaters. Paul George and Dennis Schroder helped pick up the slack when Russell Westbrook left the game and they were able to feed off the crowd energy. The bench continued to play amazing as rookie Hamidou Diallo came in the game and ignited the Thunder with back to back steals for dunks. These type of games when OKC faces adversity always get the best out of everyone it seems like. The Thunder haven’t given a timetable for Russell Westbrook but check back soon as we will have more information soon. The Thunder will face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday and we will see if he plays or if he will be recovering from the ankle sprain still.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated
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