Thunder Rookies' Importance Showed Throughout Playoff-Opening Victory

The Oklahoma City Thunder has made its arrival back to the postseason, and it's been an emphatic one.

The Thunder were able to grind out a neck-and-neck game over the New Orleans Pelicans in the final minutes, making out with a 94-92 victory to go up 1-0 in the first-round series. A large part of that win came in the form of the two-way effort from arguably the best rookie duo in the league, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren.

With one of the deepest and most relied upon reserves in the league, Oklahoma City and Mark Daigeault has now shown his willingness to go 11-deep in his rotation, even in the cutthroat playoffs. But watching this team throughout the course of the season, it's not a joltling surprise to see Daigneault jot over half his bench out onto the floor through vital stretches.

As a result, Wallace was able to generate some suffocating ball pressure on the Pelicans' biggest names, especially CJ McCollum. With New Orleans preparing to tie or win the game with a three with less than 10 seconds to play, the Pelicans decided to go at the 20-year-old Kentucky product. Wallace answered the call and answered it with confidence, locking up McCollum's dribble and subsequently forcing an errant 3-point attempt which handed Oklahoma City the win.

Sensational defense by rookie Cason Wallace on the final possession of the game to poke the ball away from CJ McCollum then force him into an awkward shot at the buzzer. Wallace has been doing this all season too. A future All-Defensive team player. https://t.co/OnFpQYOcBi pic.twitter.com/TUrNM3mPAD
— Kevin O'Connor (@KevinOConnorNBA) April 22, 2024

It was a glaring, telling moment for Wallace, illuminating just how special he is defensively in his first year in the assocation. On top of that, he added five points and a three to contribute to the scoring column.

For Holmgren, his task versus Jonas Valanciunas was definitely not an easy one. Valanciunas would end up with 13 points and 20 boards, but Holmgren would have a game of his own. At 7-foot-1, Holmgren's rim deterrence led to New Orleans having just 36 points in the paint while recording five blocks as well. For the Pelicans, who shot 39 threes on the night, this was certainly a game changer in the game's outcome. Offensively, a 15-point, 11-rebound outing with two treys, Holmgren's two-way production as a talented rookie in Game 1 couldn't be understated against a well-experienced, veteran center in Valanciuanas.

These two rookies will have plenty of more time on the floor in the blue and orange. But for now, relishing in their accomplishments having not even a full season under their belt, it's essential to realize the potential this team has in their hands while also witnessing the success they're seeing currently.

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