OKC Thunder edge the New Orleans Pelicans- 3 takeways

The OKC Thunder won in exciting fashion in Crescent City spoiling Steven Adams’ first career triple-double. Here are three takeaways from the impressive victory.

The OKC Thunder participated in an old-fashioned shootout Wednesday night against the New Orleans Pelicans. OKC has posted a 3-1 record away from home this season, and the fight and resilience are why this team was able to pull off the 111-110 upset against the Pels.

Although there was no answer for Steven Adams, OKC shot lights out from the 3-point line. OKC went 19 of 46 from beyond the arc and was not shy about taking any shots as the club looked to shoot the three at a frenetic pace.

Darius Bazely had an electric 3rd quarter, scoring 15 of his 20 points in that time period. The entire team had something to prove as the perimeter defensive effort was superb. OKC got out in transition and scored 27 points on the break. In contrast, New Orleans was only able to produce eight points in the open floor.

More of the same from the OKC Thunder youth.

The OKC starters had a fantastic night, totaling 71 points between the starting unit. What is most impressive is the supporting cast of players that produce nightly.

Mike Muscala lit it up from beyond the arc, shooting 5 of 7, amassing a career-high from downtown. Take a look at ‘Moose’ as he hit three consecutive 3-point baskets in the 4th quarter to stretch the OKC Thunder lead out to 10 points.

This is the type of Thunder basketball that fans have been waiting for so the fact that OKC came out and played such a great all-around game is something to keep in mind moving forward. Let’s take a look at three takeaways.

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.

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.

OKC Thunder bench provides a much-needed boost

Hamidou Diallo and Mike Muscala indeed led the way as the OKC bench scored 40 points against the New Orleans Pelicans. Hami has been extremely impressive this season as he plays the role of the sixth man. Diallo scored nine points in 20 minutes of play but is still performing at a high level around the basket.

Mike Muscala has added to his breakout year with another massive game. The Bucknell product poured in 18 points in 20 minutes and had a heat check after hitting back to back 3-pointers during the 4th quarter.

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The bench had other notable contributors as the other display of youth was on show as Theo Maledon, and Kenrich Williams looked very active in Wednesday night’s outing.

Theo played 19 minutes, shooting 2 of 4 from the field and 2 of 2 from behind the arc. Isaiah Roby gave an added boost with five points in 10 minutes of play.

The OKC Thunder produced a lovely game Wednesday night. If the club can keep up the ability to get out in transition, it will be exciting to watch.

However, it will be paramount to monitor 3-point shooting moving forward. OKC will continue to shoot the ball from beyond the arc and live with the results, but the ability to play suffocating defense with the tendency to run in transition will be the keys to this young team’s success moving forward.

The Thunder look to take down the Knicks on Friday night as the road trip continues to Madison Square Garden.