3 Takeaways From the OKC Thunder Taking Control of the Series in New Orleans

The Thunder played well through two games, and might have sealed the series on Saturday.

Apr 27, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Josh Giddey (3) goes up for a / Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder are a win away from the second round.

The Thunder dominated their first road playoff game, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 106-85. Behind good performances from the entire starting five, the Thunder secured a 3-0 lead, their first since the first round in 2013.

The Thunder played well every quarter but created separation late in the first half. Three straight 3-pointers from Lu Dort in the second quarter helped the Thunder expand the lead to double digits and take a 60-46 lead into halftime.

Oklahoma City’s defense was a significant factor throughout the game. New Orleans shot only 38.1% from the floor and 28.1% from 3-point range. 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder in scoring with 24, while Jalen Williams and Josh Giddey each added 21 points.

Let’s dive into three lessons that can be learned from yesterday’s game.

Apr 27, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA;Oklahoma City Thunder Forward Chet Holmgren (7) handles / Matt Bush-USA TODAY Sports

Chet Holmgren is a menace in the paint 

Defense has helped make the Thunder a successful team all season and again in the playoffs. In holding the Pelicans to 85 points, Holmgren consistently made his presence felt inside.

Holmgren finished Saturday’s game with four blocks and eight rebounds. The rookie has had multiple blocks in all three games, including a couple of impressive blocked dunk attempts in New Orleans.

After coming into the series with concerns about how he would match up with Jonas Valanciunas, Holmgren has responded to every challenge. Adding in Holmgren’s effectiveness on offense has made Valanciunas a non-factor, with him playing only 12 minutes in Game 3.

OKC’s shooting can hold up in the playoffs 

Coming into the Thunder’s first-round series, sustaining their 3-point shooting was a possible area concern. After shooting only 10-of-32 from beyond the arc in Game 1, the Thunder’s shooters have settled in.

In Game 3, Oklahoma City’s shooters were instrumental in the team pulling away before the fourth quarter. Along with Dort’s second-quarter stretch, Isaiah Joe nailed a couple of important 3-pointers, and Josh Giddey shot 4-of-7 from that range.

Overall, the Thunder shot 17-of-36 from beyond the arc after a 14-of-29 performance in Game 2 on Wednesday. With an opportunity to close out the series, the Thunder should be in good shape if they can continue to create open looks.

Rebounding is not a problem

The Thunder finished the regular season 27th in defensive rebounding percentage, but that has not caused them many issues in the first round. After losing the rebounding battle in Game 1, the Thunder won the glass in Games 2 and 3.

Not allowing the Pelicans to break triple digits has helped with that, but securing those missed shots has been a strength recently. That renewed effort has shown up in the numbers, with Oklahoma City’s defensive rebound percentage going from 69.8% to 71.6% in the playoffs, including 76.8% in the past two games.

Even when the Thunder have struggled to grab rebounds, they have made up for it by forcing turnovers. The Pelicans have averaged 17 turnovers per game in the first round, including 20 in Game 3, after averaging only 13 in the regular season.

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After an impressive regular season to secure the No. 1 seed in the West, Oklahoma City is on the brink of advancing to the second round for the first time since 2016. Oklahoma City will get that opportunity Monday night in New Orleans in Game 4.

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