OKLAHOMA CITY — As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander checked out of the game with a little more than three minutes left, the MVP candidate received thunderous cheers on his way to the bench. possessing a game-high 34-point lead, for their dominating Game 2 efforts.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were in full control of Game 2 against New Orleans Pelicans, leading by 34 points as Gilgeous-Alexander exited the floor. OKC cruised to a 124-92 win and a 2-0 lead in its first-round series of the 2024 NBA playoffs.
“I thought we had great recognition of how we needed to attack tonight when they played their based stuff,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said on the playoff win. “When they went small, they played zone. We were prepared for both of those things at some point in this series. … Really good 48-minute execution out of the team.”
The start of the contest looked far different. The Pelicans kept feeding the ball to Jonas Valaciunas as they built a 14-12 lead four minutes into the contest. The Thunder couldn’t make stops. Then OKC flipped a switch and closed the opening quarter on a 23-8 run to create a 35-22 lead. Both squads exchanged baskets in the second frame, and the Thunder entered halftime with a 63-50 advantage.
In the opening minutes of the third frame, the Thunder went on a 16-6 run to push their lead to 22 points. OKC entered the fourth quarter with an overwhelming 92-74 lead. It was a stark contrast to Game 1’s 94-point total for the Thunder.
The Thunder enjoyed a stress-free fourth quarter and cleared the bench. Thirteen players saw action, totaling at least three minutes each.
The Thunder shot 59% from the field and went 14-of-29 (48.3%) from 3. They went 18-of-20 from the free-throw line. They dished 25 assists on 46 baskets. All five Thunder starters scored double-digit points and were a plus-24 or better.
Gilgeous-Alexander had 33 points on an efficient 19 shots. Chet Holmgren had 26 points and seven rebounds. Jalen Williams finished with 21 points and seven assists. Josh Giddey had 13 points and six rebounds. Lu Dort scored 15 points and played stellar defense.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans once again struggled to generate points without Zion Williamson. They shot 45% from the field and went 7-of-26 (26.9%) from 3. They went 19-of-21 from the free-throw line. They had 16 assists on 33 baskets. Five Pelicans players scored double-digit points.
Brandon Ingram was limited to 18 points on 5-of-10 shooting and four rebounds. Valanciunas had 19…
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