No narrow win needed.
The top-seed Oklahoma City Thunder just punched the New Orleans pelicans straight at the mouth and never recovered.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped a playoff career high 33 points, while Chet Holmgren posted a post-season high 26, as the Thunder routed the Pelicans, 124-92, for a 2-0 series lead in their West opening round series.
The Thunder take a 2-0 series lead ??
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 25, 2024
SGA: 33 PTS | 5 AST | 2 STL
Chet: 26 PTS | 7 REB | 2 BLK
J-Dub: 21 PTS | 5 REB | 7 AST pic.twitter.com/LKioKfKMbx
SGA scored 16 third-quarter points and finished on an efficient 13-of-19 shooting for OKC, who led by as many as 23 points en route to taking care of business at home over the weary Pelicans.
"That's a baaaadd man right there"
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024
SGA steps back for 24 in the game 🔥
NOP-OKC on TNT pic.twitter.com/x0JIC96glO
Holmgren had his playoff debut party with a post-season career high 26 points, including hitting his first nine shots and a 15-point first quarter .
The rookie out of Gonzaga ended the opening half with 20, becoming the first rookie to score 20-point first half in the playoffs in over a decade.
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024
20 PTS
7/8 FGM
3/3 3PM
... just early in the 2nd quarter on TNT pic.twitter.com/Pxund422ou
Jalen Williams contributed 21, with Lu Dort adding 15 and Josh Giddey chipping in 13.
The youngest team to ever clinch a playoff-top seed, OKC had 25 assists on 43 made field goals and shot an ultra-efficient 59 percent.
Just as smooth on offense, the Thunder also clamped down on defense.
The Thunder forced 17 Pelicans turnovers, limited New Orleans to a 32 percent shooting beyond the arc. Oklahoma City held the opponent to less than 100 points for the second straight game.
OKC also hit seven threes in the opening frame for a 35-22 lead and never looked back, finishing with a +15 advantage over New Orleans beyond the arc.
— NBA (@NBA) April 25, 2024
OKC goes 7/11 from deep in the 1st to take a 13-point lead on TNT! pic.twitter.com/NS2umFre4E
Meanwhile, Jonas Valanciunas topscored the Pelicans with 19 points with Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones adding 18.
CJ McCollum had 15 points but continued to struggle from the field as the veteran guard is now 15-of-36 from the field.
Valanciunas scored New Orleans' first 11 points in the opening frame and only had seven the rest of the way.
COOK JV
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) April 25, 2024
5/6 from the field. all 11 of our points pic.twitter.com/9zqzn5UXb0
Still missing superstar Zion Williamson, New Orleans just couldn’t overcome an error-prone game and a horrible shooting against the well-balanced Thunder squad.
Game 3 of this series now shifts to New Orleans with the Pelicans still searching for answers against the red-hot Thunder squad on Sunday, April 28.
