West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder wary of struggling New Orleans Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS – The Oklahoma City Thunder have won six of their last seven National Basketball Association (NBA) games. The New Orleans Pelicans have won only five games all season.

Still, both teams are feeling pretty good – albeit for different reasons – going into their matchup in New Orleans on Dec 7 (Dec 8, Singapore time).

The Western Conference-leading Thunder cruised to a 129-92 road victory against Toronto on Dec 5, the same night that the Pelicans ended a nine-game losing streak with a 126-124 home victory against Phoenix.

“We’re having a lot of fun out there,” Oklahoma City forward Luguentz Dort said.

The Thunder (17-5) are unlikely to overlook the Pelicans any more than they did against the Raptors, one of the worst teams in the East, or Utah. The Jazz, who are neck and neck with the Pelicans for the worst record in the West, fell to the Thunder 133-106 on Dec 3.

“It’s the NBA,” said Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 30 points in 30 minutes and sat out the fourth quarter in Toronto.

“It’s the best league in the world, the most talented players in the world. You can’t slight anybody because they’ll beat you. I don’t ever (look at) a team’s record. I go out there and give my all, and my teammates do the same thing. That’s why we have success.”

The Thunder beat the Pelicans 106-88 in their first meeting on Nov 13 in Oklahoma City. New Orleans were missing four starters and two other rotation players for that game, but the Pelicans (5-18) are much healthier now.

Guards C.J. McCollum and Dejounte Murray missed the first meeting but have since returned.

The Pelicans also received a boost against the Suns when leading scorer Brandon Ingram (calf) returned from a five-game absence and Herbert Jones (shoulder), the team’s best perimeter defender, returned from an 18-game layoff.

The result was just the second victory in 17 games.

“I told my teammates we just needed to get one (win),” McCollum said. “It’s been a long season. We’ve been losing a lot, and there have been a lot of frustrating games.

“I know it’s been hard to watch for a while. But we competed and we gave ourselves a chance. I liked the way we fought. If we play like that every night, we are going to have the chance to win a lot of games.”

Ingram scored 21 of his 29 points in a game-turning third quarter, a period when New Orleans had 45 points, their season high in any quarter. McCollum had 13 points and three assists in the fourth quarter and Jones blocked Devin Booker’s three-pointer as time expired.

With key players back, the team are feeling more positive heading into the Thunder game.

“Herb Jones is a leader,” Pelicans coach Willie Green said. “Even when he wasn’t playing, he was talking to the coaches, he was talking to his teammates. He was watching film, showing guys where they could be better.

“He exemplifies what we are all about. Without him on the floor, we’re missing a lot.” REUTERS