The Thunder are finding their way forward

In this matchup of extremes of the Western Conference, v Thunder He wasn’t having fun against the Pelicans, far from it. But Oklahoma City at least secured the basics, dominating New Orleans (104-95) on Tuesday and avoiding its first three-game losing streak of the season.

Deprived of many elements (Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alec Caruso, Cason Wallace), OKC starts the match with pain. Is it the tension of a recent bad streak? The defending champion misses his first eight shots, and we have to wait until five minutes into the game to see Aaron Wiggins finally hit the target. The Pelicans aren’t doing much better, going 1/9 and only making a few free throws. Ousmane Dieng bringing a spark off the bench to get his side back up to speed and then give them their first lead of the match, barely 30 seconds in. But the first quarter is contentious and so complicated for the two offenses, going a terrible 10/47 combined, including 3/23 on 3-pointers…

Le show Chet Holmgren

Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander he missed the first six attempts, and scored the first basket only at the beginning of the second quarter. “SGA’s” awakening coincides with the Thunder’s first run, 12-0 in just under three minutes with two long shotsIsaiah Joe to finally break away a little (37-26, 19′). Rarely, Gilgeous-Alexander picked up his third foul very early in the match, with more than six minutes left in the second quarter. His exit once again hampers his team’s offense. And as Oklahoma City’s racket, short on depth and inches, suffers from offensive rebounding, the Pelicans respond immediately. The defense of James Borrego’s men is on point and allows the visitors to get back on track. It takes a long shot Lou Dort 10 seconds from the end for the Thunder to return to the locker room in the lead (48-46).

Quite discreet in attack before the break, Chet Holmgren it comes out of the box when it reboots. And in what way! OKC’s interior scores nine points thanks to its activity near the circle. Holmgren gives his team some breathing space (59-52, 28′). His Gilgeous-Alexander duo takes care of almost everything offensively, backed by Joe’s 3-point success on a good night (17 points on 5/10 from long range). New Orleans is trying to hold on, especially thanks to Zion Williamsonbut the clumsiness in the perimeter is starting to weigh.

Ending the match under high tension

This is even more the case as the opposite, Dort sets his sights and Gilgeous-Alexander does the best he can to find his firing positions. The deficit increases to 17 points at the beginning of the fourth quarter (88-71, 37′), and OKC could hint at a slightly calmer ending to the match. And the opposite happens! Jeremiah Fears shakes up his team on both ends of the floor, and the 3-point shot falls at this time. This changes everything with Saddiq Bey, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III then again Fears, who scored from a distance, and with five minutes to go there was only a five point difference. Aaron Wiggins and Lou Dort respond at the best moment, and the Canadian initiates an action that closes the debates. He managed to dominate on the jump ball Ives Missy to whom he returned nearly 20 centimeters, and Gilgeous-Alexander turned the effort into a key layup to give his team a nine-point lead with a minute left.

The endgame is electric. Jaylin Williams and Sadiq Bey heat up for the first time, then Jeremiah Fears and Lou Dort explode a powder keg at the buzzer. The two benches rush into a general commotion, which fortunately does not degenerate, the conclusion of the battle won by Oklahoma City.

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The tension between Lou Dort and Jeremy Fears, after this last action.pic.twitter.com/CpliaeikC9

— Basketball USA (@basketusa) January 28, 2026

WHAT TO REMEMBER

The Thunder’s interior defense ruled the game. Against the league’s most prolific team in the paint, Oklahoma City fared better than it held up despite its absences. Chet Holmgren was especially outstanding with five blocks to go with his 20 points and 14 rebounds. Jaylin Williams also had four blocks of his own, and the Pelicans shot just 43.6% from 2-point range.

Oklahoma City restarts the machine. With the headwind of late, the chaos of absences and an opponent who came to play luck until the end, this match looked like a trap for the Thunder. Marc Daigneault’s team was not sparkling and we cannot recommend a replay of this match if you are a fan of polished basketball. But the reigning champions were able to find solutions, like their leader Shai Giljus-Alexander, who was attacked throughout the match, but still finished with 29 points (8/22 shooting, but 13/14 free throws).

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How to read statistics? Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive jump; T = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = point difference when the player is on the court; Points = Points; Rating: player rating calculated based on positive actions – negative actions.