Thunder (13-8), Pelicans (7-14)
OKLAHOMA CITY – Anthony Davis delivered another huge offensive night and Buddy Hield broke out with a big fourth period, but New Orleans couldn’t capitalize. Behind the standard triple-double by early MVP candidate Russell Westbrook (28 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists), Oklahoma City led for the vast majority of Sunday’s game and handed New Orleans a road defeat. The Pelicans trailed by as many as 15 points in the second half, but mounted a late rally to make matters interesting in the final minutes. However, beyond Davis and Hield, New Orleans shot very poorly, finishing at 36.7 percent as a team.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Westbrook, who like nearly everyone Sunday had been frigid from three-point range, nailed a right-wing trey to give the Thunder a 100-93 lead with 51 seconds remaining. That shot brought Oklahoma City to just 6/28 as a team from beyond the arc. Coincidentally, that was exactly what New Orleans shot on three-pointers.
PELICANS PLAYER OF THE GAME
Davis was locked in from the outset, tallying double-digit points in the first and second quarter, walking into the locker room with 24 points. Davis totaled 37 points, slowing a bit by his standards in the second half. The three-time All-Star finished 14/32 from the field and 9/11 at the foul line. He also pulled down 15 rebounds.
PELICANS UNSUNG CONTRIBUTOR
In his first return to the state where he starred in college at the nearby University of Oklahoma, Hield may have authored his best game so far as a rookie. After checking in during the third quarter, the lottery pick drained a three-pointer, then racked up 13 fourth-period points. Hield collected 16 points overall and went 4/7 from three-point range, nearly bringing NOLA all the way back from down double digits.
