In the last quarter, “Thunder” gained a ten-point advantage, but the guests did not give up and managed to take the lead with 90:88. At the end of the low-scoring game, however, the home team managed to win, and Shay Gilges-Alexander made a 2+1 move 33 seconds before the end of the regular time to make it 93:90. Six seconds later, “Pelicans” got closer to 92:93, but they couldn’t fight back.
In the series up to four victories, “Thunder” took the lead with 1-0. The next match of the series will take place on April 24 at the “Thunder” field, but then two games will be played in New Orleans.
In Sunday’s game, Gilges-Alexander was the top scorer for the home team with 28 points, Jalen Williams scored 19 points, and Chet Holmgren stood out with 15+11.
Trey Murphy scored 21 points for Pelicans, Christian James McCollum scored 20, and Lithuanian Jon Valančunas had 13 points and 20 rebounds. Zaion Williamson did not help the visitors due to injury.
In another first match of the first round of the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Dallas Mavericks 109:97 (34:22, 22:8, 31:34, 22:33) at home.
Among the winners, James Harden scored 28 points, Paul George scored 22, and Ivica Zubac scored 20+15.
“Mavericks” could not save Luka Doncic’s 33+13 and Kyrie Irving’s 31 points from losing.
The second match of this series will take place on April 23 in Los Angeles, but the series will move to Dallas three days later.
Meanwhile, the Milwaukee “Bucks” started the quarterfinals of the Eastern Conference with a safe victory on Sunday, defeating the Indiana “Pacers” basketball players at home with 109:94 (30:21, 39:21, 14:29, 26:23).
Damian Lillard already scored all 35 of his points for the home team in the first two quarters, while another leader, Yannis Adetokunbo, watched the match from the sidelines due to injury. Also among the winners, 23+10 were collected by Chris Middleton, and 15+11 by Bobby Portis.
“Pacers” players, who did not score less than 99 points in any match in the regular season, made only eight of 38 long shots this time. Pascal Siakams scored 36+13 for the visitors, while Myles Turner scored 17 points.
The second game of the series will take place in Milwaukee on April 23, but the next two matches will take place at the Pacers’ field.
It has already been announced that in another duel of the Eastern Conference, the Latvian Kristaps Porzingis scored 18 points, but the Boston “Celtics” represented by him beat the Miami “Heat” 114:94 (26:21, 34:24, 31:14, 23:35) at home. unit.
