Pelicans Playoff Hopes End With Play-In Tournament Loss to Thunder

The New Orleans Pelicans' season and postseason hopes ended with a disappointing 123-118 loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Play-In Tournament game.

The New Orleans Pelicans' season and postseason hopes ended with a disappointing 123-118 loss at home to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Wednesday, Apr. 12.

Last night's fall was reminiscent of a season of losses due to falling behind in third quarters, injuries, turnovers, and miscues all contributed to the Pelicans' early vacation.

Apr 12, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans head coach Willie Green reacts from the sideline during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

"I told them that we're all extremely proud of this group and what they've accomplished this season," Willie Green said of his team. "We've been through a lot this year. Health, injuries, guys being out of the lineup, shuffling the deck, and stuff going on in family lives. For them to put together the type of season they put together this year, it's a credit to the character of our players, our staff, and our coaches. It's hard to do, and I'm extremely appreciative."

New Orleans entered the third period leading a six-points 63-57 until OKC went on a 12-2 run recapturing the lead at 74-71 with 7:19 in the stanza. The Thunder outscored the Pelicans by 15 points in the period, 39 to 24.

Brandon Ingram led the Pelicans' comeback in the 4th quarter, leading the team with 30 points, seven assists, six rebounds, and a block.

Apr 12, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) grabs a rebound against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) during the second half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

New Orleans went on an 11-3 run cutting into the OKC lead 96-98 at 9:56 on the clock in the contest.

Ingram's two-straight baskets helped regain the lead at 112-110 and 114-110. However, miscues and turnovers gave the Thunder the advantage down the stretch for the win.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was huge for OKC. He sank a basket at 28 seconds and hit two free throws at 2.1 seconds on the clock after Herb Jones' errant pass to CJ McCollum all but handed the game over to the Thunder.

Oklahoma City had three players score 25-plus points - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32), Josh Giddey (31), and Luguentz Dort (27).

New Orleans missed the defense and rebounding efforts of Jonas Valanciunas, who left the game after spraining his ankle. He had a double-double of 16 points and 18 rebounds on the night.

The lead changed and was tied 13 times with the Thunder.

Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports

On the Pelicans Season and What's Next?

Brandon Ingram: "I think that we got better as a team over the course of the season. Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones made strides and got better at the right time this year. We had Dyson (Daniels) come in and continue to develop as a point guard for this team. We had a lot of injuries. We had a lot of factors in it. We continued to keep fighting and playing together."

CJ McCollum: "It's hard to say what we need to do other than injury because we only played ten games together. I would say availability is

important. We have to be available and do what we need to do off the court in terms of preparation, sleep, and hydration; everything has to matter to us."

The early run in the Pelicans season had them at the pinnacle of the NBA Western Conference.  Injuries marred and ended a promising start of the 2022-23 for New Orleans.

Zion Williamson (hamstring), Brandon Ingram (toe), Jose Alvarado (right tibia), and Larry Nance Jr. (left ankle) all sustained significant injuries. 

Excuses are cheap, and the reasons can run deep. 

Being without your two most prominent stars impacted the Pelicans team - especially since Jan. 2 when Zion went down in Philly. 

After another inconsistent season, Willie Green, David Griffin, Swin Cash, and Trajan Langdon will focus on preparing New Orleans for another championship run in 2023-24. What are the changes ahead in personnel and coaching? Perhaps most of all, "Can Zion Williamson stay healthy for a full season?"

We shall see.