OKC Thunder edge the New Orleans Pelicans- 3 takeways
By Brandon Dale
OKC Thunder still searching for identity in the paint
The defensive intensity looked outstanding tonight. However, there were many instances where New Orleans found a way to get the ball down low with ease. Steven Adams produced his first career triple-double due to their ability to defend down low. Moreover, the OKC Thunder allowed 58 points in the paint.
OKC escaping victory by a point is somewhat telling due to this number, and the ability for the Pelicans to draw fouls early in the game made it hard for OKC to have any rhythm on the defensive end. The Pelicans went 18 of 23 from the charity stripe, shooting 78.3 percent.
OKC showed a great defensive effort on the perimeter and did an excellent job denying the Pelicans from behind the arc. A bright spot for this young OKC Thunder squad is Kenrich Williams and his ability to defend on the outside.
There were a couple of instances where the New Orleans frontcourt dismantled OKC on the inside. Daigneault will need to come up with a better game plan to combat this moving forward.