Thunder sweep Pelicans 97-89 with Williams 24 points

Jalen Williams led the charge for the Oklahoma City Thunder with a 24-point performance, including a crucial 3-pointer with three minutes remaining, as they completed a four-game sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans in their first-round playoff series, winning 97-89.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also contributed significantly with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Oklahoma City. Despite trailing by five points in the fourth quarter, the Thunder turned the tide with a combination of stout defense and timely shooting.

New Orleans held a narrow 80-75 lead and had an opportunity to extend it further when a defensive stop led to a fast break opportunity for CJ McCollum. However, McCollum was unable to convert, and Oklahoma City capitalized on the momentum swing. Chet Holmgren’s putback and Josh Giddey’s game-tying 3-pointer sparked an 18-2 run for the Thunder, culminating in Williams’ clutch 3-pointer that put them ahead 93-82 with just over three minutes left.

Despite their efforts, New Orleans, playing without star forward Zion Williamson for the entire series, couldn’t mount a comeback.

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Giddey and Holmgren also made significant contributions for Oklahoma City, scoring 14 points each, with Holmgren adding nine rebounds to his stat line.

McCollum led the scoring for the Pelicans with 20 points, but their struggles from beyond the arc continued, shooting just 23.5% from 3-point range, hitting only eight of their 34 attempts.