The Oklahoma City Thunder will swing by The Big Easy this Wednesday for the last game of a road trip. Will they snatch their 50th win of the season at the expense of the New Orleans Pelicans? Or, will Zion Williamson and company start their six-game homestand with a victory?
Catch this game live on Wednesday, March 27, 2024 at 8:00 AM, Manila time
Away: Oklahoma City Thunder (49-21/21-14 Away)
Projected Starting Five:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
- Josh Giddey
- Luguentz Dort (DTD)
- Jalen Williams
- Chet Holmgren
The Thunder cooled down a bit after a four-game undefeated run, as they suffered a 118-93 loss on the road at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks last Monday. But one thing about Oklahoma City is that this is a resilient squad. The Thunder has won 14 of their last 20 games this season that came after a loss. The last time Oklahoma City lost in back-to-back fashion was way back in the second week of February. Moreover, the Thunder are owners of a decent 10-9-1 record against the spread in games after a defeat.
Oklahoma City, which is fourth in the league so far this season with 120.3 points per game average, also won the last time it met the Pellies. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fired 31 points and the Thunder used its stout defense to cripple New Orleans in a 107-83 win in The Big Easy last January. People shouldn’t be sleeping on OKC’s ability to defend, as this team is ranked sixth overall with a 112.1 adjusted defensive rating.
Home: New Orleans Pelicans (44-27/ 20-13 Home)
Projected Starting Five:
- CJ McCollum
- Trey Murphy III
- Herbert Jones
- Zion Williamson
- Jonas Valanciunas
Coming off a 36-point explosion in a 114-101 cakewalk of a win over the Detroit Pistons on the road last Monday, Zion Williamson will look to throw his weight around anew this Wednesday. The former Duke Blue Devils star was not around when the Pelicans lost to OKC back in January, but he was there on the floor in the first meeting of these teams last November. Williamson scored 20 points, while CJ McCollum had 20 points to go with 11 rebounds in that 110-106 road win against the Thunder. This time, though, Brandon Ingram will not be suiting up for New Orleans due to a left knee contusion. Herb Jones is also making noise as a potential All-Defensive team member.
With Ingram sitting another game, Trey Murphy can be expected to get a starting gig anew this Wednesday. He must be itching to get back in action after putting up a stinker against the Pistons, shooting just 1/12 from the floor and 0/9 from deep for an eight-point night. The Pelicans are 3-1 ATS in their last four games as the home team.
PREDICTIONS:
Spread: The Pelicans (+2) cover the spread.
Over/Under: The total (224.0) hits the Under.
