The Thunder have dominated every game this series and Game 3 was no different. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams all eclipsed the 20-point mark, and for the third straight time, the Thunder held the Pelicans to under 100 points. They shot the ball incredibly well from pretty much everywhere, making it difficult for New Orleans to gain any footing in the game.
“We were ready to play,” Thunder coach — and recently named Coach of the Year — Mark Daigneault said. “Our physicality again, our defense and focus on that end of the floor was really, really good, made them earn everything. And I thought that set the tone.”
Here’s what you need to know ahead of Game 4.
Thunder vs. Pelicans Game 4
- Date: Monday, April 29 | Time: 8:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Paycom Center — Oklahoma City
- TV channel: NBATV
- Odds: Thunder -4.5; O/U 206.5
Storylines
Thunder: OKC has gotten some surprise production from Giddey, who is routinely left open from 3-point range due to his poor shooting from there. But in the postseason, he’s shooting 41.7% from deep, an important development for the Thunder as they try to make a deep run. If Giddey manages to keep that up, OKC will be even more difficult to defend. Giddey’s 3-point shooting opens things up for him to attack the rim and find an open teammate on the perimeter. He likely won’t score 21 points regularly, but perhaps his performance from downtown can carry over going forward.
Pelicans: The Pelicans struggled to connect on 3s, and when the opponent is shooting 47.2% from deep, it’s pretty hard to keep up. CJ McCollum went just 2 for 8, and while New Orleans got good production from their starters as four of them reached double figures, it wasn’t enough to match the high-powered offense of the Thunder. It also doesn’t help when you rack up 21 turnovers, limiting your ability to cut into OKC’s lead. The Pelicans will need to take better care of the ball and be more efficient from deep if they want to avoid a sweep.
Prediction
Aside from Game 1, the Pelicans haven’t really bothered the Thunder, and I don’t see that changing in Game 4. Without Zion Williamson, the Pelicans have really struggled on offense, and seeing as he won’t be walking through the door Monday night to suit up, I’m going with OKC to get the sweep. The Pick: Thunder -4.5
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