NEW ORLEANS — The youngest No. 1 seed within the historical past of the NBA playoffs actually is not being hindered by its lack of playoff expertise.
The Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder rolled to a different dominant victory over the eighth-seeded New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday afternoon, successful 106-85 to take a 3-0 sequence lead.
“We simply attempt to clear the hurdle in entrance of us,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned. “That is how we have been via time, not simply this season.
“And the phrase I’ve used with the crew is ‘unusual’ all 12 months. I believe they only have an unusual maturity and unusual poise, unusual competitiveness and togetherness. And with that competitiveness, they don’t seem to be simply siloed opponents. They compete collectively. And I believe that offers you confidence in traumatic conditions or on the street if you’re doing it as a part of a unit, and I actually assume they really feel like that.”
Solely twice in NBA historical past has all of a crew’s factors in a playoff recreation come from gamers beneath 25 years outdated: the Thunder in Sport 2 and the Thunder in Sport 3 of this sequence.
Oklahoma Metropolis has used 13 gamers and 9 of them are taking part in in a playoff recreation for the primary time. Three of the 4 gamers on the roster with probably the most expertise in playoff video games — Gordon Hayward, Mike Muscala and Bismack Biyombo — have mixed for zero factors via three video games, with Hayward taking part in simply over 27 minutes whereas the opposite two have but to play.
Exterior of Hayward, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Isaiah Joe are the one different rotational gamers who had playoff expertise earlier than this season.
“Each expertise you reside via and also you be taught,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “That is what we did via that have with all 82 video games this season. We realized from each expertise and we tried to get higher from it to get higher for this second.”
The Thunder confirmed a few of their poise after the sport’s first possession Saturday, when ahead Jalen Williams, Oklahoma Metropolis’s No. 2 scorer, took an inadvertent shot to the face from Brandon Ingram and left the court docket to be evaluated simply 33 seconds after tipoff.
The Thunder wanted an early timeout to verify on Williams, who mentioned he bought hit within the eye by Ingram’s palm, one thing he known as an unfortunate play as a result of Ingram stayed vertical. Rookie Cason Wallace took Williams’ place. However even with Williams within the locker room, the Pelicans could not preserve the early benefit and had simply 14 factors within the recreation’s first 10 minutes.
Williams returned later within the first quarter. He completed with 21 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
“I imply that is an indication of a very good crew,” Thunder guard Josh Giddey mentioned. “One in all your predominant guys goes down, and also you usher in Cason and it feels the identical. He performs a task. Nobody tries to be different guys. Guys are available and try this factor. And we have a very deep squad. You look down that bench, and everybody that touches the ground has an influence.”
The Thunder’s protection has worn down the Pelicans on this sequence, holding them to a median of 89.7 factors. New Orleans hasn’t had Zion Williamson on this sequence, however the defensive development is one thing that confirmed itself within the one recreation Williamson did not play towards Oklahoma Metropolis on Jan. 26, when the Thunder held the Pelicans to a season-low 83 factors. With Williamson, New Orleans scored 112 and 110 factors of their two different regular-season matchups.
Any time the Pelicans confirmed indicators of life Saturday, the Thunder have been capable of struggle again.
New Orleans lower the result in one with 4:39 within the second quarter and had an opportunity to tie, however Jonas Valanciunas missed his second free throw. The Thunder responded with three consecutive 3-pointers in what finally turned a 14-0 run.
After falling behind by 14 at halftime, the Pelicans scored the primary two buckets of the third quarter, however the Thunder answered with two 3-pointers in 19 seconds. Later within the quarter when the lead was again to 10, Oklahoma Metropolis had a 9-0 surge.
“Basketball is a recreation of runs, we all know that,” Gilgeous-Alexander mentioned. “We at all times say it is a 48-minute recreation and to only fear about stacking possessions. And we did so, and due to it, we received the previous few video games.”
Sport 4 towards the Pelicans will likely be Monday night time, when the Thunder will search for their first playoff sweep since taking out the Dallas Mavericks within the first spherical in 2012. That was additionally the 12 months the Thunder made their solely Finals look.
If the Pelicans wish to stop that, they’re going to not solely need to shoot higher after managing 38.1% from the ground and simply 9-of-32 (28.1%) on 3s, but in addition defend the ball. The Pelicans had 21 turnovers in Sport 3, tied for probably the most New Orleans had in any regular-season recreation this season.
“They seem to be a good protection for a purpose, and to beat this crew we’ve got to be actually sound in our execution and after we’re not and we’re stepping into the paint and attempting to throw inside passes they’re actually good,” Pelicans coach Willie Inexperienced mentioned. “They’re handsy. All of their guys, that is what they do, they’ve finished all of it season and it harm us.”
Inexperienced mentioned he informed his gamers the sequence wasn’t over however that issues wanted to vary heading into Sport 4.
“Look, we have one other recreation right here at dwelling, and we’re not going to repair all of our points tonight,” Inexperienced mentioned. “Go dwelling, have meal and we’ll come again tomorrow and follow and go over what we have to do and prepare for the following recreation.”
