Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams had a rough start, taking a hard shot to the eye in the opening possession of a crucial playoff game. But he bounced back, showing resilience and grit.
By the third quarter, Williams was on fire, sinking two consecutive 3-pointers in a 9-0 run that left the New Orleans Pelicans scrambling to keep up.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the scoring with 24 points, while Williams and Josh Giddey each contributed 21, propelling the Thunder to a convincing 106-85 victory over the Pelicans on Saturday. This win gave them a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round playoff series.
"Dub's very talented," Gilgeous-Alexander said of Williams, who has been averaging around 20 points in the series and scored 13 of his Game 3 points in the second half. "He was clearly big tonight, very impressive and nothing we're not used to."
The Thunder, who came into the playoffs with questions about their young and inexperienced roster, have silenced doubters with their performance. After a narrow two-point win in Game 1, they have dominated the Pelicans, winning by 32 points in Game 2 and 21 points in Game 3. This turnaround is largely due to their relentless defense, holding the Pelicans to 92 or fewer points in all three games.
"We were ready to play," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "Our physicality, our defense, and our focus on that end of the floor were really, really good, made them earn everything. And I thought that set the tone."
The Thunder's sharpshooting from beyond the arc, hitting 47.2% of their 3-point attempts, coupled with a double-digit lead throughout the second half, sealed the deal. As the game wound down, Thunder fans could be heard chanting, "OKC! OKC!" while Pelicans fans headed for the exits.
“We adjusted really well to the flow of the game. We got good looks,” Giddey said. “They threw a lot of different looks at us but we've got a lot of weapons on the floor at all times. So, guys made the right play, the extra pass.”
Despite missing star forward Zion Williamson due to injury, the Pelicans remain determined to avoid elimination. "It’s not over," Pelicans coach Willie Green emphasized. "We’ve got another game here at home... Go home, have a good meal, and we’ll come back (Sunday) and practice and go over what we need to do and get ready for the next game.”
Looking ahead, the Pelicans face an uphill battle. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit. But both teams are aware that in the playoffs, anything can happen.
“You can’t take your foot off the gas no matter what the lead is in a series,” Giddey said. “Neither team looks at this series as over.”
Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans with 19 points, followed by CJ McCollum with 16. However, the Pelicans struggled from the perimeter, shooting just 28.1% from 3-point range and committing 21 turnovers.
The game started ominously for the Thunder when Williams took a forearm to the face from Ingram, but he returned to the game after a brief stint in the locker room.
The Thunder took control in the second quarter with a 14-0 run, highlighted by Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer and Lu Dort's three consecutive deep shots.
“I’m sure us turning the ball over didn’t help," said Pelicans wing Trey Murphy III. “Then they were just moving the ball really well and we had some defensive breakdowns. They were making shots and capitalizing off of our mistakes.”
Gilgeous-Alexander's steal and subsequent free throws gave the Thunder a 60-46 lead at halftime, setting the stage for their eventual victory.
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