The Oklahoma City Thunder came out of nowhere to earn the number one seed in the Western Conference. The team underwent one of the biggest rebuilds in league history upon trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George in the summer of 2019, and it's already paid off. The Thunder will face another young, up-and-coming team in the NBA playoffs this year.
In this article, we will explain everything you need to know about the first-round series between the Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans.
Where is Thunder vs. Pelicans?
The Thunder finished as the top seed in the Western Conference. Therefore, they will have home-court advantage all the way until the NBA Finals. In the first round, Oklahoma City will host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Pelicans will host Games 3, 4, and 6 at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana.
How to watch Thunder vs. Pelicans
Game 1: Pelicans at Thunder: Sunday, April 21 at 9:30 p.m. ET – TNT
Game 2: Pelicans at Thunder: Wednesday, April 24 at 9:30 p.m. ET – TNT
Game 3: Thunder at Pelicans: Saturday, April 27 at 3:30 p.m. ET – TNT
Game 4: Thunder at Pelicans: Monday, April 29
Game 5: Pelicans at Thunder: Wednesday, May 1
Game 6: Thunder at Pelicans: Friday, May 3
Game 7: Pelicans at Thunder: Sunday, May 5
Thunder storylines
It was not long ago that the Thunder traded nearly their entire roster for a plethora of draft picks. They even won 24 games only two seasons ago. Sam Presti's vision is starting to become a reality, though, as the Thunder are now legitimate title contenders. The team is one of the youngest in the NBA, and while their future is bright, they are ready to prove themselves now.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads the way for Oklahoma City. By scoring 30.1 points per game, Gilgeous-Alexander was huge in helping the Thunder go from a 10-seed to the top seed this season, cementing himself as a top-tier MVP candidate. Gilgeous-Alexander is only 25 years old, yet he is the oldest starter on his team.
Jalen Williams has emerged into a star in his own right, Chet Holmgren has exceeded all expectations in his rookie year and Lu Dort has established himself as one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the league. Even Josh Giddey has improved his play as of late by becoming a more reliable shooter from deep.
Oklahoma City has tons of depth, too, as they seemingly always find bargain players who can play big minutes. Cason Wallace has been one of the best rookies this year, Isaiah Joe is an elite three-point shooter and deadline acquisition Gordon Hayward brings a veteran presence to an otherwise young roster.
Of course, the postseason is a whole different ball game than the regular season, and the Thunder have almost no experience with playoff basketball. They have the talent to make a run regardless, but the Pelicans will not be an easy matchup.
Pelicans storylines
Only six 8-seeds have ever advanced past the first round, but the Pelicans have as good a chance as any to do that this season. The Heat proved last year that an 8-seed can make a deep playoff run, and New Orleans has even more talent on their roster than that team did.
Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson form one of the best duos in the NBA. Unfortunately, Williamson will be out for at least the first game of the series with a hamstring injury he suffered late in a play-in tournament loss to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pelicans were able to win their next play-in game over the Sacramento Kings despite Williamson's asbence, but so much of the offense runs through the former No. 1 pick that the team will need him back sooner than later to compete with Oklahoma City.
In the play-in game that Williamson missed, Jonas Valanciunas stepped up in a big way, using his strength to bully Domantas Sabonis down low. Valanciunas will have a bigger size and strength mismatch against Holmgren, and the Pelicans will need him to take advantage without Williamson.
New Orleans is actually one of the few teams that can match Oklahoma City when it comes to depth. Rotations usually get cut to eight or nine players in the postseason, but both of these teams are deep enough that they can be comfortable playing their regular season rotations. CJ McCollum and Herb Jones round out the starting lineup for the Pelicans, the former of which got plenty of playoff experience during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers, and the latter of whom has had an All-Defense caliber season.
Off the bench, you have Trey Murphy, a great shooter with length, Jose Alvarado, a pest who always makes big plays, and Larry Nance, a small-ball center who plays well with the team's starters. Williamson could miss the entirety of the first round, so all of these players will be counted on to extend the series until their star returns.
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