Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 97-89 in the fourth game of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The game was evenly matched throughout the first half, with neither team having a lead greater than three points. The guests went into halftime with a minimal lead of just one point.
The same back-and-forth continued in the third quarter, with both teams trading baskets in a true playoff battle. The Pelicans were unwilling to give up easily, but the final quarter proved to be decisive.
The final quarter was decisive. With the score at 83-82 in favor of Mark Daigneault‘s team, his players went on a 10-0 run. That run was crucial and proved to be the deciding factor, the Pelicans didn’t have the strength to mount a comeback and couldn’t avoid the sweep.
For the team in blue, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the standout player, scoring 24 points. Jalen Williams also contributed the same amount. On the other side, C.J. McCollum scored 20 points, and Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and 13 rebounds.
The Oklahoma City Thunder is a young team, and they’ve broken several records. Their average age is around 24 years old, making them the youngest team to finish first after the regular season, the youngest team ever to win a playoff series, and the youngest team to sweep an opponent. In the next round, they will face the winner of the series between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks.