Gameday Preview: OKC Thunder visit New Orleans seeking one final victory prior to All-Star break
By Alex Mcewen
The OKC Thunder travel to New Orleans to complete the season series vs. Pelicans with hopes of entering the All-Star break on a high. Gameday previews the match.
The OKC Thunder took on their division rival the Portland Trail Blazers for their third meeting on the season on Monday. Oklahoma City defeated Portland 120-111, taking a commanding 3-0 season series lead and triple-double mayhem ensued.
Russell Westbrook got his 10th consecutive triple-double passing Wilt Chamberlain‘s record for the most consecutive triple-doubles in NBA history. Paul George recorded his third career triple-double and only the second non-Westbrook or Kevin Durant triple-double in franchise history.
The game marked the 10th instance in NBA history that teammates had triple-doubles in the same contest. The match also marked the first time in league history that two pairs of teammates had triple-doubles in the same game in the same season. Westbrook and George join LeBron James and Lonzo Ball who accomplished the feat earlier this season.
Last, but not least, Russ and PG became the first set of teammates to register simultaneous triple-doubles featuring at least 20 points. The most fitting aspect of their historic triple-double is the fact their 10th assists came courtesy of made 3-point field goals from each other.
It was certainly a memorable night inside the Peake, and with 26 games remaining the Thunder will likely create many more remarkable performances. However, none will replicate the history which occurred against the Blazers.
The bad voodoo you do
It has been said New Orleans is one of the most haunted cities in America. Perhaps the bad voodoo around the city could be contributing to the bad mojo surrounding the Pelicans. The situation swirling around New Orleans and Anthony Davis is unfortunate, but not unexpected.
Davis requesting a trade is well within his right as a player, given the Pelicans record since AD’s rookie season, the request is not one bit surprising. The year the Pelicans won the draft lottery the then Charlotte Bobcats were coming off a seven-win season, it is the lowest winning percentage in NBA history.
Charlotte picked second in the 2012 NBA draft, selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. To this day, the Hornets have a better record ( 244-wins), than the New Orleans 243 victories