Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a decisive 107-83 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans during Friday’s NBA action, contributing a stellar 31 points.
Chet Holmgren supported the effort with a double-double, scoring 20 points and grabbing 13 rebounds, as the Thunder secured their fourth consecutive road win.
Gilgeous-Alexander, recently named a Western Conference starter for the All-Star Game, expressed his gratitude for the recognition.
“It’s an honor, it’s a blessing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Obviously, there’s so many talented players in the NBA, so many talented guards, especially in the West. To be voted first by my peers, who do the same job as me, is a really good feeling.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault praised Gilgeous-Alexander’s consistent performance throughout the season, noting his ability to blend personal ambition with team enhancement.
“He does it inside the team,” Daigneault said. “His success also impacts the team and somehow creates space for other guys to elevate and improve and other guys to rock out a little bit. He’s able to balance high ambition and high production with creating the level of space he does for the rest of the team. That, to me, is the most impressive thing. He’s a great player. ”
Herb Jones and Jonas Valanciunas scored 14 points for the Pelicans, with Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum adding 12 each. The team struggled offensively without Zion Williamson, who was sidelined with a bone bruise in his left foot.
This absence was felt as the Pelicans, who had recently set a franchise record for points, only managed to shoot 39% from the field, significantly lower than their 153-124 win over Utah.
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Daigneault commended the Thunder’s sustained defensive effort, which limited the Pelicans to just 83 points, a season-low for them. Despite also struggling with 3-pointers, the Thunder excelled at the free-throw line and capitalized on New Orleans’s turnovers.
“We did a great job defensively, obviously, and it was pretty consistent throughout the game,” Daigneault said. “We were able to sustain a really high level defensively throughout. There wasn’t much that they got that was easy.”
NBA NEWS & SCORES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder, Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans Updates
Pelicans coach Willie Green attributed the loss to his team’s inability to control the ball, a sentiment echoed by McCollum. The team missed Williamson’s presence, who, despite warming up pregame, was held out as a precaution.
“The way we played two games ago was different,” McCollum said. “Zion had the ball out and pushed the tempo. We played through him a lot, but he (didn’t) play tonight. It (was) just a different game, and we need to be better. We didn’t play well and turned the ball over.”
