Thunder Eliminate Pelicans in Play-In Match, Advance to Face Timberwolves for 8th Seed

On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder faced the New Orleans Pelicans as the No. 10 seed in a crucial play-in tournament game. Despite a poor first half, Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander showed poise and composure, rallying his team to a 123-118 victory and a chance to play for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The Thunder will face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, and the winner will advance to face the No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets in the first round beginning Sunday.

Gilgeous-Alexander struggled in the first half, scoring only seven points due to constant double-teams from the Pelicans. However, he rebounded in the second half with 25 points, finishing the game with 32 points in total. Gilgeous-Alexander's leadership and poise inspired his teammates, with fellow guard Josh Giddey noting that "when your leader is not flustered and under control out there, it's a spiral effect. Guys see that and feed off it."

Gilgeous-Alexander's experience in previous playoff games, including a seven-game series with the Thunder in the 2020 bubble, proved valuable in the high-pressure situation. Despite the team's shift to a rebuild after trading Chris Paul, Gilgeous-Alexander helped lift the Thunder to a 40-42 record and a spot in the play-in tournament.


In the game against the Pelicans, Gilgeous-Alexander's example and poise in the first half helped lead the way for his team. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to avoid getting "hasty" in must-win situations, and Gilgeous-Alexander took over in the third quarter with 17 points while Giddey contributed 12.

The lead changed hands multiple times in the fourth quarter, but Gilgeous-Alexander's driving layup with 28.3 seconds left gave the Thunder the lead for good. His experience and leadership proved valuable for the young Thunder team, with Gilgeous-Alexander noting that "it's still basketball at the end of the day. You still gotta do certain things to win the game throughout."

FAQs

Q1: When will the Thunder play against the Timberwolves for the 8th seed?
The Thunder will play against the Timberwolves for the 8th seed on Wednesday, April 13th, 2023. The game is scheduled to start at 7:00 PM Eastern Time.

Q2: Who won the Thunder-Pelicans play-in game?
A: The Thunder won the game, advancing to the next round of the play-in tournament.