OKC Thunder edge the New Orleans Pelicans- 3 takeways

OKC Thunder let it fly from downtown in New Orleans

There has been some thought about how often OKC was shooting the ball from behind the arc initially, but if the Basketball God’s will allow the ball to drop, then more power to OKC. Eight players made 3-point baskets tonight as the young ball club put up an elaborate 46 shots from behind the arc, shooting at a 46 percent clip.

The reason OKC has been successful in doing so is that the ball movement has been astounding. There was a bit of a drop-off in the previous Thunder matchup against Miami, but tonight the ability to run sets and find the open man proved to be impossible to stop.

Take a look at some of this ball movement as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds Darius for a comfortable, uncontested 3-point basket in the corner, followed by an onslaught from Bazely. The Thunder sophomore was able to find his shot with ease on the court after hitting a few 3-pointers.

This success from behind the line will be hard to sustain, but it is Coach Daigneault’s recipe for success moving forward.