By Paris Lawson | Broadcast and Digital Reporter | okcthunder.com
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Following a two-day break for Christmas Eve and Christmas, the Thunder returns to the hardwood for a rematch against the New Orleans Pelicans inside of Paycom Center. Just 11 days removed from its last matchup against New Orleans, the Thunder has since logged four games against high-level opponents, including the reigning Western Conference Champion Phoenix Suns on Thursday, and carried away valuable lessons from each contest.
- Containing Ingram – In its last game against the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram scored a game-high 34 points on an efficient 11-for-21 from the field to go along with an 11-for-15 performance at the line. Ingram leads the Pelicans in scoring each night and will require a 5-man defensive effort in limiting his efficiency on the offensive end.
- Shai in the Lane – The Thunder prioritizes its ability to get into the lane offensively each night. Leading the charge in that department is Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander who averages the fourth most points in the paint of any guard in the NBA. Over the Thunder’s last two contests, Gilgeous-Alexander has averaged 17 points in the paint as OKC has outscored its last two opponents 110-70 total in the lane.
The last time the Thunder and the Pelicans met, the two teams tied with 46 points in the paint. Be on the lookout for a concerted effort by the Thunder to get downhill and create looks from inside the paint.
- Eyeing Second Chances – Keep an eye on the offensive glass for both teams. The Pelicans allow the third-fewest second chance points per night while also racking up the fourth most offensive boards per game. Meanwhile, OKC has generated a bit of consistency on the offensive glass as of late. The Thunder has logged five consecutive games with 14 or more second chance points – including its last meeting with New Orleans. Over that same time span, the Thunder has averaged the fifth most offensive rebounds with 12 per night.
The free throw line has played a major factor in both contests between the Pelicans and New Orleans this season. In fact, in OKC’s last meeting with the Pelicans, the two teams combined for the second most free throw attempts in a Thunder game this season with 55. The Thunder game with the most combined free throw attempts also took place against the Pelicans on November 10th where the two teams generated a total of 62 attempts.
Mark Daigneault on competing against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday…
“It’s a great experience for us to play against a team of that quality, with that level of experience and that requires that level to win the game. Now it’s our responsibility to learn those lessons.”
—Coach Daigneault
After a two-day break, New Orleans (12-21) enters Oklahoma City riding a four-game winning streak for the first time this season. The Pels began the year with a rocky 3-16 start and have since gone 9-5. Leading scorer Brandon Ingram has played a key role offensively as he’s having his best scoring month of his career. Through December, Ingram is averaging 27.7 points and has scored 25 or more points in seven of 10 games this month.
In its last game against Orlando, the Pelicans were without its center Jonas Valanciunas (non-Covid Illness) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Health and Safety Protocols). In that game, Ingram led the way with 31 points, but the backcourt duo of Josh Hart and Devonte’ Graham combined for 42 of their own. Willy Hernangomez held down the paint and grabbed 16 rebounds for the night.