Pelicans Offense Falters Down The Stretch In Series-Opener Loss To Thunder

New Orleans had plenty of chances down the stretch to steal Game 1, but they couldn't execute offensively to pull out the win.

New Orleans falls to Oklahoma City 94-92 in Game 1 of the opening round of the playoffs. The Thunder hosted their first playoff game in five years and sent their fans home happy after taking a 1-0 lead in the series. The Pelicans had plenty of opportunities down the stretch to steal a game on the road, but couldn't make the key play late to win. New Orleans played without Zion Williamson, who is nursing a hamstring injury.

Each team started the game tense, with so much emotion and intensity in the arena. New Orleans shot 30% in the first quarter, while Oklahoma City shot just 35%. The Pelicans went 1/8 from beyond the arc and only recorded one assist in the period. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored nine points to lead the Thunder, but the rest of his team scored only eight. The game was tied at 17 after the end of the first quarter, but both teams found better offense in the second quarter.

New Orleans had only one assist in the first quarter but had nine in the second. Naji Marshall scored five straight points after being inserted into the game, and the Pelicans pounded the Thunder on the glass. New Orleans grabbed six offensive rebounds, leading to a 16-2 advantage in second-chance points. Oklahoma City extended their bench by playing 11 players in the opening half. The Pelicans played just 8, with Trey Murphy III playing 23 of the 24 first-half minutes. It was a 43-43 tied score at the half.

The second half saw a flurry of runs in the third quarter. Oklahoma City started with an 11-0 run to grab their biggest lead of the game, but the Pelicans responded with a 10-0 run of their own. Trey Murphy III scored ten points in the quarter, with the Pels cutting the Thunder lead down to one. Oklahoma City responded with a 9-2 run to extend their lead again. Gilgeous-Alexander scored ten points himself, for a game-high 21 points after three-quarters of play. The Thunder led 74-68 heading into the fourth quarter.

Apr 21, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram (14) reacts

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New Orleans chipped away at the Thunder lead before a strong defensive stand down the stretch had them teetering on stealing a Game 1 victory. The Pelicans held the Thunder without a field goal for over five minutes, but couldn't separate themselves, as they scored just two points in the last three minutes of the game. With the game tied at 90, New Orleans had four chances on the same possession to score but came up empty. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a tough midrange shot and was fouled to complete a three-point play.

CJ McCollum made a turnaround baseline shot to cut the lead down to one, and the Pelicans fouled Chet Holgrem, who split his free throws to leave the Thunder lead at two. With just 14 seconds left, the Pelicans opted to go for the win on the road, but CJ McCollum's three-point shot was long off the back rim as time expired. McCollum finished 2/9 from beyond the arc, scoring 20 points in the loss.

Brandon Ingram had issues all night long getting clean shots on the Thunder defense. Ingram shot 5/17 for only 12 points on the evening. The game featured 20 lead changes and 13 ties in the closest game of the weekend among all playoff games. Game 2 of this series is Wednesday night, where New Orleans will try to even the series at a game apiece.