Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Pelicans Prediction: Feisty Thunder to face fatigued Pels

The Prediction train in the NBA is going to hit many blocks and you never know which team is heading for an uptick and a downturn. The action is brutal with each team traveling a lot through the course and also playing tough back-to-back night scenarios. In a back-to-back scenario, the New Orleans Pelicans will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Thunder comes in the affair after an impressive 101:98 win against the Trail Blazers to extend their winning streak to three. They have now won three close games in a row and their last seven games have been decided by single-digit margins. The team derailed in the middle when they lost five in a row, but their campaign is back on track, thanks to the current home stretch. Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has led the way, scoring in 27-35 points range for a team that lacks scoring depth on multiple fronts. The Thunder has improved offensively from last season but their defense has taken a bit, however, this has worked in their favor.

The Pelicans come into this game after defeating the San Antonio Spurs 126:117 as Zion Williamson didn’t play and CJ McCollum erupted for a 40 points effort. This win culled their four-game losing streak, and the team improved to 19 wins and 12 losses. The Pels have played without their Star Wing Brandon Ingram for around a month now but Zion’s elevated play has helped them survive. CJ McCollum has returned to form but big concern is that the bench has shown fatigue after a rather hot start. The Pelicans will look amazing once Brandon Ingram returns and the lineup of McCollum, Ingram, Herbert, Zion, and Valanciunas holds a lot of promise on both ends of the floor.

• Thunder: OUT: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Ousmane Dieng, Chet Holmgren;
• Pelicans: OUT: Larry Nance, Brandon Ingram, Zion Williamson, EJ Liddell.

• Expected Leading Scorers: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander(30-35 Points), CJ McCollum(25-32 Points);
• Expected Leading Rebounders: Jonas Valanciunas(9-12 Rebounds), Josh Giddey(8-11 Rebounds);
• Expected Leading Playmakers: Josh Giddey(5-8 Assists), CJ McCollum(5-8 Assists).

The Thunder has been one of the most fighting teams in the league and plays a ton of close games, no matter the quality of opponents. This is a big change from last season and this rebuild has certainly hit a stride. The Pelicans will be again missing their Star Factor and after playing last night, it will be tough to tackle the Shai-led Thunder unit. This can be a close game but I see the Pels feeling the fatigue late in the game. That is why I am predicting a 119:113 win in favor of the Thunder.