How To Watch Thunder at Pelicans Play-In Game On Wednesday
The 2022-23 NBA regular season has come to an end, which means it is time for the Play-In Tournament and playoffs to begin!
On Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans will battle things out in New Orleans in an elimination play-in game. The winner will advance to play the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 8-seed in the Western Conference on Friday, while the other team will pack their bags and throw in the towel for the season!
Finishing a two games ahead of the Thunder in the standings, the Pelicans are a sneaky team in the Western Conference that proved to be troublesome in the first-round of the playoffs a season ago. Brandon Ingram has elevated his game to new heights and while the Pelicans are still without Zion Williamson, Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones continue to grow as young talents on the wing.
New Orleans is a very talented, young team that has a terrific veteran guard in CJ McCollum, which is why they have what it takes to hang with anyone in the Western Conference.
On the other side of things, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are an even younger team that nobody thought would be in the position they are in.
Entering the season, many thought the Thunder would be continuing their rebuild with second overall pick Chet Holmgren sidelined for the entire season, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had an MVP-like season in Oklahoma City and a lot of the young talents on this team have really come together to form something special.
Will the Thunder be able to continue what has been a fairytale season for them or will a more experienced Pelicans team get the best of them in a winner takes all play-in game?
Here's how to watch Wednesday night’s game, with game time and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
How to watch Thunder vs. Pelicans
WHO: Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
WHAT: 2023 NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament: 9-seed vs. 10-seed Elimination Game
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 12
WHERE: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN
Key Stats & Facts For Thunder vs. Pelicans
- The Thunder and Pelicans faced off four times during the regular season with the Pelicans winning three of the four games by an average of 3.3 points in those three games. Oklahoma City’s only win against New Orleans was a 14-point road victory.
- The Pelicans finished the regular season ranking 21st in offensive rating and 6th in defensive rating, while the Thunder finished the regular season ranking 13th in offensive rating and 14th in defensive rating.
- New Orleans is 27-14 at home this season and Oklahoma City is 16-25 on the road.
Last Matchup:
March 11, 2023 - Thunder 110, Pelicans 96
Going on the road, the Thunder picked up their only victory against the Pelicans in their final meeting of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was fantastic in this one for the Thunder, as the young star had 35 points on 11-23 shooting and a perfect 13-13 from the free-throw line. Rookie Jalen Williams was also all over the place with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals. For the Pelicans, Brandon Ingram was absent in this game and as a result, CJ McCollum finished with a team-high 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. New Orleans turned the ball over 22 times in this game.
Latest Injury News:
Thunder Injuries: Chet Holmgren (foot) - Out, Kenrich Williams (wrist) - Out, Aleksej Pokusevski (knee) - Out
Pelicans Injuries: E.J. Liddell (knee) - Out, Zion Williamson (hamstring) - Out, Jose Alvarado (leg) - Out, Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) - Questionable
Projected Starters:
PROJECTED THUNDER STARTERS:
- G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 6-6 guard: 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Josh Giddey, 6-8 guard: 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists
- G Luguentz Dort, 6-3 guard: 13.7 points, 4.6 rebounds
- G/F Jalen Williams, 6-6 guard/forward: 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds
- F/C Jaylin Williams, 6-10 forward/center: 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds
PROJECTED PELICANS STARTERS:
- G CJ McCollum, 6-3 guard: 20.9 points, 5.7 assists
- G/F Herb Jones, 6-8 guard/forward: 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds
- F Trey Murphy III, 6-9 forward, 6-7 forward: 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds
- F Brandon Ingram, 6-8 forward: 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- C Jonas Valanciunas, 6-11 center: 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Pelicans are currently 5.5-point favorites over the Thunder as of Wednesday morning, according to SI Sportsbook.
- The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 227.5 total points.
What to watch for:
- The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to make it back to the playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2009.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to make it back to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
- New Orleans is 38-17 this season when they score at least 110 points. Oklahoma City is 34-28 this season when they score at least 110 points.
- The Pelicans and Thunder have never played one another in the playoffs.
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
Streaming on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast takes you inside the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from those close to the action for all 30 teams. Be on the lookout for a new episodes every Friday.
