The OKC Thunder returned to action on Sunday night following a couple of days off as the Oklahoma City Thunder were able to celebrate Christmas Eve and Christmas day with time off from practice and games. The Thunder welcomed the New Orleans Pelicans to downtown Oklahoma City as the two sides clashed at the Paycom Center.
The OKC Thunder were missing Darius Bazley and Tre Mann who were the first two players to enter the NBA Health and Safety Protocols this season from the Thunder, while also not having Vit Krejci who remains on an NBA G-Leauge Assignment.
Mark Daigneault elected to start a trio of rookies in this contest with Josh Giddey, Aaron Wiggins, and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl joining Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort in the first five.
The Oklahoma City Thunder were able to snap the Pelicans’ four-game winning streak thanks to a hot start as the Thunder raced out to a huge lead, eventually seeing it swell to 17 points. This game only saw the lead change hands four times, and the OKC Thunder were able to stave off a scrappy fourth-quarter run by New Orleans that saw the road team briefly take the lead.
OKC Thunder knock off the Pelicans thanks to rookie Aaron Wiggins
The Oklahoma City Thunder got a huge lift from Aaron Wiggins, who was selected 55th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft and is currently on a two-way contract in hopes of inking a standard NBA pact, made his fifth start in 14 NBA games with tonight being his career-high. It seems like a matter of when, not if, the rookie gets that standard NBA contract.
Wiggins, chipping in 24 points thanks to his incredible slashing ability and his off-ball movement the Maryland product hit 80-percent from the floor, 50-percent from beyond the arc. The 22-year-old forward has yet to miss a two-point attempt in his NBA career (12-for-12).
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to play at an All-Star level in this contest going for 31-points while shooting 55-percent from the floor, including 1-for-5 from deep though that one made triple was a dagger of a step-back three. SGA also hauled in four rebounds, dished out five assists, and swiped a steal on his way to three blocks defensively.
Josh Giddey pulled off a feat that we have not seen in a long time, turning in a double-double without scoring a point with his ten rebounds, ten assist effort the rookie guard went 0-for-8 from the floor in this contest. Giddey is the first player to have such a double-double since Norm Van Lier in 1971.