The New Orleans Pelicans will be without four injured starters again when they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder, who just lost young star center Chet Holmgren to an injury for a few months.
The Thunder are huge favorites on the NBA odds in the Week 4.
| Opening Lines Subject to Change: Thunder -14 (total 223.5) Expert Prediction: Thunder 114, Pelicans 102 |
New Orleans Pelicans +266
Again down four injured starters on Monday, the Pelicans lost their fifth straight game, 107-105 at home to Brooklyn. Cam Thomas scored 10 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer for the lead in the final minute to lead the Nets. New Orleans led 105-101 but missed its final eight shots. Thomas hit a step-back 3 in transition over Javonte Green to give Brooklyn the lead for good at 106-105 with 32.5 seconds to go.
The Pels made it difficult on themselves with a few stagnant late possessions, both in ball and player movement. “We took some tough (shots) in the final three minutes,” Willie Green said. “We were trying to get into a position where we were going after some of their weaker defenders, but we were slow (starting the offense). They put their hands on us. We have to be able to sustain getting the ball over (halfcourt), executing, and then you can get the looks you wanted.”
Brandon Ingram
Ingram led the Pelicans with 24 points (10-of-24 FGs), nine assists and five rebounds but only had two points after intermission. He is 1-of-10 NBA players to average 22-plus points and 5.0-plus assists on 47.0% or better shooting from the floor this season. He also ranks 2nd in mid-range field goals made per game (3.1) and is shooting 50.7% from the mid-range.
Trey Murphy III
Murphy III played for the first time this season after straining his right hamstring in training camp. He scored 12 points but missed 10 of 14 shots overall and went 2 for 6 from deep. Murphy was on a minutes restriction and was kept to 25:37. He logged about seven of those minutes in the fourth quarter, a number that surely would’ve been higher without the restriction.
Yves Missi
Rookie center Missi had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the best showing of his young NBA career and first double-double following one of his worst Friday against the Magic (zero points, one rebound, one steal and one block in 20 minutes). Missi will continue to get heavy minutes while forwards Herbert Jones (shoulder) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) remain sidelined. Among all NBA rookies, Missi is ranked 3rd in blocks per game (1.5) and 3rd in rebounds per game (5.9).
Injuries
Starting guards Dejounte Murray and CJ McCollum are also out. Jose Alvarado has been starting at guard with them out but left Monday’s game an injury before returning. However, it turns out Alvarado will miss six weeks with a hamstring injury. In his last six full games prior to the injury, the 26-year-old had averaged 17.2 points, 5.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 33.3 minutes per night, with a shooting line of .422/.447/.800. Brandon Boston likely becomes the lead guard with all those guys out. He is averaging career-highs in points per game (12.7), field goal percentage (46.2%), rebounds per game (3.5) and assists per game (3.9) this season.
The #Pelicans announced today that guard Jose Alvarado has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain.
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) November 12, 2024
An MRI taken this morning confirmed the injury, which occurred during last night’s game vs the Nets.
He will be re-examined in approximately 3 weeks. pic.twitter.com/EKMJ5331rA
Teams can apply for a hardship exception allowing them to add an extra player to their 15-man roster if they have four players who have missed at least three games due to injuries and are expected to remain out for at least two more weeks. New Orleans is in that position.
^Oklahoma City Thunder -417
Oklahoma City on Monday played its first game since losing young star center Chet Holmgren to serious injury and beat the Los Angeles Clippers 134-128. With their tallest starter at 6-foot-6, the Thunder ran relentlessly, yet committed just 11 turnovers. They were outrebounded 47-29. Los Angeles was careless with the ball. Oklahoma City scored 32 points off the Clippers’ 24 turnovers.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Former Clipper Gilgeous-Alexander posted a career-high 45 points to go with nine assists, five steals and three rebounds. With Holmgren (hip) and Isaiah Hartenstein (hand) both out, Gilgeous-Alexander was the tallest player in the Thunder’s starting five. It may not be until December before the Thunder get a center back. SGA lived from the charity stripe with a season-high 16 free-throw attempts. The 26-year-old has scored 20-plus points in all but one matchup thus far.
45 points was light work for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and he felt he should have had more 🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/nE8Kj59Mh4
— Ball Exclusives (@ballexclusives) November 12, 2024
Jalen Williams
Williams got the start at center on Monday despite standing only 6-foot-5 and had 28 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Lu Dort added 19 points and Alex Caruso a season-high 12 points. The 30-year-old has struggled offensively overall this season, averaging 4.2 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals while shooting 30.9 percent from the floor across 19.5 minutes per game. But the Thunder acquired him largely because of his defense.
Chet Holmgren
As for Holmgren, he finished second in the 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year voting and all his numbers were way up this year with Holmgren on pace for an All-Star appearance, but he suffered a pelvic fracture on a fall against Golden State on Sunday and won’t even be re-evaluated for about eight weeks. The team said Holmgren is expected to return this season.
It’s the former Gonzaga star’s second major injury as he missed what would have been his first NBA season in 2022-23 after he was drafted because of a Lisfranc injury. He played all 82 games last season. Through his first nine games this year, he had averaged 18.2 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks before going down. Holmgren relied on his previous experience to keep this latest setback in perspective.
“On one hand I know how to approach it, I know what to do, what not to do and how beautiful the other side is. But on the other hand I’ve felt the frustration of this process, and the wear it puts on your mind,” Holmgren said of this latest setback.
Isaiah Hartenstein
Backup center Hartenstein has been sidelined to start the season because of a small nondisplaced fracture in his left hand. He was signed as a big-ticket free agent this offseason to leave the Knicks. Hartenstein appeared in 75 games (49 starts) last season and averaged 7.8 points on 64.4% shooting to go along with 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.16 steals and 1.13 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game.
Mark Daigneault
Coach Daigneault will have to rely on small-ball out of necessity for the next several games: “It’s definitely a challenge. We’re not sugarcoating that but adversity is as large part of competition as anything. How you respond to adversity as a team is a skill… It’s a habit you can build. It’s a muscle you can build. And every adversity has a choice. You can see it as an excuse or you can see it as an opportunity.”
^How to Watch and Bet Pelicans at Thunder Odds
When: Wednesday, 7:30 PM ET
Where: Paycom Center
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Pelicans vs Thunder Last Season
Oklahoma City won two of three over New Orleans last season. The most recent meeting was on March 26 in the Big Easy and the Pels lost 119-112 at home. Jalen Williams scored four of his 26 points in the last half-minute, and the Thunder rallied with a 12-0 run during the final 2:31 to escape after blowing a 20-point second-half lead. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 24 points, including a tying 3 with 1:29 left. Zion Williamson had 29 points and 10 assists, and CJ McCollum scored 23 points for the Pelicans, who trailed 88-68 before using a 20-2 run to get back into the game. Oklahoma City leads all-time 42-32.
^NBA STANDINGS UPDATE ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) November 13, 2024
▪️ PHX, GSW match OKC with 9th win
▪️ ORL moves to 3rd in East
Download the NBA App for more: https://t.co/wV1YsrFUXw pic.twitter.com/jt7XZ4E7q5
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2023 Thunder vs Pelicans Play-In Tournament
The winner of tonight’s Oklahoma City at New Orleans matchup in the Western Conference play-in tournament will visit Minnesota on Friday for the chance to earn the West’s No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The season is over for tonight’s loser with the Pelicans as solid favorites on the NBA odds.
Thunder vs. Pelicans Play-In Tournament | 2023 NBA Expert Analysis
How to Bet Oklahoma City at New Orleans NBA Odds & TV Info
When: Wednesday, 9:30 PM ET
Where: Smoothie King Center
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: Pelicans -5.5 (total 227)
Season Series
New Orleans won the regular-season series 3-1 but lost the most recent matchup 110-96 on March 11 at home but was without star Brandon Ingram. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points to lead OKC. Josh Giddey added 19 points and Jalen Williams had 17 for the Thunder, who led most of the way and by as many as 21 in the first half. CJ McCollum scored 26 points for the Pelicans. They committed 22, leading to 23 Thunder points. Gilgeous-Alexander had four steals.
Why Bet on Oklahoma City?
OKC was supposed to be tanking again this season but hugely surprised with a 40-42 record and closed the regular season with a 115-100 home win over Memphis on Sunday, although the Grizzlies rested nearly everyone and the Thunder did too. Tre Mann had 24 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, the first triple-double of his career. Olivier Sarr added 22 points and 15 rebounds. Ousmane Dieng stuffed the stat sheet with 22 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. None of these guys will play much if at all vs. New Orleans.
Oklahoma City had the youngest roster in the NBA on opening night of the 2022-23 season. The Thunder’s roster featured four rookies, six sophomores, and two players in their third season. OKC secured its 12th 40-win season in the past 15 years, which ranks tied for second during that span behind only the Miami Heat (13).
The All-Star Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.4 points (4th in the NBA), 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds, 1.6 steals (4th in the NBA), and just shy of 1.0 block on better than 50 percent shooting. The only other players in NBA history to average better at least over 30 points on 50 percent shooting from the field, four rebounds, four assists, one steal and just shy of one block are Michael Jordan (2x), LeBron James, and Kareem Abdu-lJabbar. SGA scored 30 points in 45 games this season, the most in the league. He led the league in third quarter scoring, averaging a total of 10.2 points in the frame this season. Shai made 669 free throws, leading the league.
Jalen Williams finished his rookie season averaging 14.1 points (5th among rookies), 4.5 rebounds (10th among rookies), 3.3 assists (5th among rookies), and 1.4 steals (1st among rookies). Williams scored 20-plus points in 17 games this season, second most in Thunder history (Russell Westbrook – 18). Post All-Star break, Jalen averaged 18.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per contest.
Second-year Josh Giddey averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per contest. His shooting percentage jumped from 41.9 to 48.2 from last season to this season. His three-point percentage was up over six percent, from 26.3 to 32.5. Lastly, his free throw percentage increased from 70.9 to 73.1.
Oklahoma City finished tied with Brooklyn, Cleveland, and Indiana for the most 10+ point comeback wins this season with 17. The Thunder ranked tied for fourth for the most 15+ point comeback wins this season with six.
Bet Thunder to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
Why Bet on New Orleans?
Zion Williamson is not returning anytime soon for the Pels. Williamson, who has been out since Jan. 2 while recovering from a right hamstring strain, spoke to reporters Tuesday. The former No. 1 overall pick said that he is feeling fine physically and will return to the court “when I feel like Zion,” acknowledging the mental hurdle of rejoining the team as it embarks on a postseason run. Williamson will not play Friday if the Pelicans win here, but maybe at some point in Round 1 vs. Denver if they win again Friday.
Williamson called it a “collective decision” between himself and the team about when he’s able to make his return. Zion played in 29 games this season, missing the final 45 because of the hamstring injury. He averaged 26 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 60.8% from the field and was named an All-Star but didn’t play in the game.
Backup point guard Jose Alvarado remains out at least one more week. Alvarado has been on the shelf since Feb. 27 due to a stress reaction in his right tibia. Prior to going down with that injury, he was a regular part of the Pelicans’ rotation, averaging 9.0 points, 3.0 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals in 21.5 minutes per night (61 games). Should the Pels win tonight and Friday, Alvarado would likely miss the first two games of a first-round playoff series against the Nuggets.
New Orleans finished the regular season ranked 9th in the NBA in points in the paint per game, averaging 53.4 points. The Pelicans scored 60-plus points in the paint in 26 games and scored 70-plus points in the paint three times.
Center Jonas Valančiūnas was very productive on both ends of the floor this season, as he finished 1-of-11 NBA players to average a point/rebound double-double. Out of those 11 players, Valančiūnas averaged the fewest minutes per game (24.9). Lastly, Valančiūnas became the fifth player in NBA history to average a point/rebound double-double in 25 or less minutes per game. Valančiūnas finished the season tied for 5th in the NBA in second chance points per game, averaging 3.6.
Brandon Ingram was one of four players in the NBA this season to average 24-plus points, 5.0-plus assists and shoot 39.0% or better from three-point range, alongside Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and Jalen Brunson. Additionally, was one of four NBA players to be averaging 24-plus points per game, shooting 87.0% or better from the free throw line and is shooting 39.0% or better from behind the arc, alongside Steph Curry, Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Durant.
Bet Pelicans to Win Today
MyBookie Betting Lines for the Game
Game Trends
- Thunder are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 Wednesday games.
- Thunder are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games.
- Thunder are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
- Pelicans are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games vs. a team with a losing straight up record.
- Pelicans are 8-3-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
- Thunder are 10-4 ATS in the last 14 meetings.
Expert Prediction
Pelicans 118, Thunder 112
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