Oklahoma City Thunder hope to emerge from tough stretch against the New Orleans Pelicans

OKLAHOMA CITY – Even though reigning National Basketball Association (NBA) champions the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing some challenges, with two starters out and several other rotational players injured, coach Mark Daigneault views it as a positive.

“There’s a lot of headwinds in the NBA – scheduling, injuries, refereeing, shot variance, and everybody deals with it at different times to various degrees,” he said, heading into their Jan 27 (Jan 28, Singapore time) home game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

“It just becomes about your ability to see those things as a challenge and attack them, and if you do that, then you’ll emerge from that mentally tougher and more connected as a team.”

The Thunder go into the game after back-to-back defeats and losing three of their last five.

All-Star Jalen Williams, who missed the first 19 games of the season after undergoing wrist surgery in the off-season, has missed the last four games with a hamstring strain, while Isaiah Hartenstein (calf) has not played since Dec 28.

Alex Caruso (thigh) has missed the last three games, while Ajay Mitchell (hip) has been sidelined for the last two.

One of the bright spots in Oklahoma City’s short-handed line-up recently has been Luguentz Dort’s offensive play. Though he has remained at the centre of the Thunder’s defensive game plan, he has struggled to be efficient offensively.

He seems to be turning a corner, though. In his last four games, Dort shot 48.6 per cent from the field and 46.2 per cent from beyond the arc. In the 103-101 home loss to the Toronto Raptors on Jan 25, he went six of 10 overall and four of eight from deep for a season-high 19 points.

“He’s done a really nice job,” Daigneault said. “Continues to be an impactful defender. Glad he’s caught a rhythm with his shooting the last couple of weeks as well. Obviously, we’re going to need it.”

While Oklahoma City are riding out a rough stretch, even as they maintain a lead at the top of the Western Conference, the last-placed Pelicans head into the game on Jan 27 having won back-to-back games, including a 104-95 victory at the San Antonio Spurs on Jan 25.

New Orleans reserve centre Yves Missi tallied an impressive 14 rebounds in the win over the Spurs and made several key buckets down the stretch, so he will be one to look out for.

With the Thunder limited inside without Hartenstein, Missi could once again play a significant role.

“He anchors our defence. He comes in and turns us,” Pelicans interim coach James Borrego said. “I love his confidence right now, his energy, his spirit. He’s driving a lot of what we’re trying to do right now.”

The Pelicans lead the league in points in the paint, scoring 58.2 per game, while Oklahoma City are allowing an NBA-low 40.4 points in the paint per game. New Orleans’ Zion Williamson is second in the league with 16.1 points in the paint per game.

The Thunder have won 12 consecutive matchups with the Pelicans, including a 4-0 sweep in the 2024 play-offs. Oklahoma City’s last six wins against New Orelans – including two this season – have come by an average of more than 21 points per game.

Meanwhile in NBA action on Jan 26, Luka Doncic produced a 46-point masterclass as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped the Chicago Bulls’ four-game winning streak with a 129-118 victory on the road.

LeBron James chipped in with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists, while Rui Hachimura delivered an eye-catching cameo off the bench with 23 points from nine-of-11 shooting.

Elsewhere, the Boston Celtics led from start to finish in a 102-94 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Payton Pritchard led all scorers with 23 points and Jaylen Brown added 20 points, as Boston improved to 29-17 to remain in pursuit of Eastern Conference leaders the Detroit Pistons, who are 33-11.

REUTERS