OKLAHOMA CITY — Tre Mann had an opportunity to write a storybook ending to his final three days.
Mann was given the ball with an opportunity to win the sport and drained the clock down to 25 seconds. Instead, Mann drove to the basket and missed the shot to ship the sport to overtime.
The New Orleans Pelicans dominated the five-minute further interval and outscored the Oklahoma City Thunder by three factors in a 128-125 win on Friday.
The remaining shot attempt left many puzzled. While Mann performed effectively in the current G League Winter Showcase, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — who scored a career-high 44 factors — didn’t have a possibility to seal the win in regulation.
After the sport, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault mentioned the ultimate play of regulation was designed to go to Gilgeous-Alexander however the Pelicans did a very good job of denying him the ball.
Even with the ultimate possession not going as deliberate, Daigneault had full confidence in Mann.
“We had confidence in Tre,” Daignault mentioned. “He had it going a little bit. We just kind of inverted it and let him go.”
Alas, the ball rimmed out.
After trailing by as many as 21 factors, the Thunder used a 66-48 benefit in the second half to regularly chip away on the Pelicans’ huge lead and finally take considered one of their very own.
Here are three different ideas from the Thunder’s three-point overtime loss to the Pelicans:
Gilgeous-Alexander units new career-high in factors
After scoring 42 factors three separate occasions this season, Gilgeous-Alexander scored a career-high 44 factors on 17-of-29 capturing and went 7-of-9 from the free-throw line in opposition to the Pelicans.
Gilgeous-Alexander continues to strengthen a powerful All-Star marketing campaign because the MVP chants at Paycom Center develop louder with every residence recreation.
Thunder rally from halftime deficit
The Thunder entered Friday with the perfect internet ranking in the league in third quarters this season, outscoring opponents by 13.8 factors per 100 possessions.
They confirmed why in opposition to the Pelicans, outscoring them 31-16 in the third quarter. The Thunder lower an 18-point halftime deficit to three by the beginning of the fourth quarter.
It’s virtually turn into a pattern for the Thunder to path by double digits early earlier than making the sport aggressive in the second half, an indication of a younger workforce nonetheless studying to win video games.
Even although the outcomes aren’t at all times going their manner, it’s nonetheless worthwhile studying experiences that would pay dividends for the youngest roster in the league.
No Zion, no Brandon Ingram, no drawback for the Pelicans
The Pelicans entered Friday on the second night time of a back-to-back with out its star duo of Williamson and Ingram.
Williamson was in well being and security protocols and Ingram was coping with an enormous toe contusion.
Considering the Pelicans entered the sport because the third seed in the Western Conference, it’s not shocking to see the remainder of their workforce step up in the duo’s absence.
Trey Murphy III scored 23 factors and Jaxson Hayes scored 21 factors. CJ McCollum completed with 17 factors and 11 assists. Naji Marshall scored 17 factors and Herb Jones scored 15 factors.
Overall, seven of the ten gamers who checked in with the Pelicans scored at the least 10 factors.
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