The 2022-23 NBA regular season is over, which means it’s time for the Play-In Tournament and Playoffs!
Wednesday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder And New Orleans Pelicans He fights things in New Orleans in a losing game. The winner gets to play Minnesota Timberwolves For the 8-seed in the West on Friday, the other team will pack their bags and throw in the towel for the season!
Finishing two games ahead of the Thunder in the standings, the Pelicans are one of the underdogs in the Western Conference and have proven to be a problem in the first round of the playoffs a season ago. Brandon Ingram has elevated his game to new heights, and the Pelicans are still without Zion Williamson, while Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones continue to develop as young talents on the wing.
New Orleans is a very talented young team with an excellent veteran guard in CJ McCollum, which is why they have what it takes to hang with anyone in the Western Conference.
On the other hand, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder are a young team that no one thought would be where they are.
Entering the season, many thought the Thunder would continue to rebuild, with second overall pick Chet Homgren out for the entire season, Shay Gilgeous-Alexander having an MVP-like season in Oklahoma City and plenty of young talent on this team. They really came together to create something special.
Can the Thunder continue their fairytale run or will a more experienced Pelicans team get the best of them as they take it all game-in-game?
Here’s how to watch Wednesday night’s game with playtime and TV, lineups, bios and other must-know details.
Thunder vs. How to watch the Pelicans
World Health Organization: Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
what 2023 NBA Western Conference Playoffs: 9-seed vs. 10-seed elimination game
When: 9:30 pm ET, Wednesday, April 12
Where: Soft King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
TV: ESPN
Key stats and facts for Thunder vs. Pelicans
- The Thunder and Pelicans met four times during the regular season, with the Pelicans winning three of the four games by an average of 3.3 points. Oklahoma City’s only win against New Orleans was a 14-point road victory.
- The Pelicans finished the regular season 21st in offense and 6th in defense, while the Thunder finished the regular season 13th in offense and 14th in defense.
- New Orleans is 27-14 at home this season and Oklahoma City is 16-25 on the road.
Last match:
March 11, 2023 – Thunder 110, Pelicans 96
Going on the road, the Thunder picked up their only win over the Pelicans in the last meeting of the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was fantastic for the Thunder in this one, as the young star scored 35 points on 11-23 shooting and a perfect 13-13 from the free throw line. Rookie Jalen Williams was also everywhere with 17 points, four rebounds and three steals. Brandon Ingram was absent for the Pelicans, and as a result, CJ McCollum finished with a team-high 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. New Orleans turned the ball over 22 times in this game.
Latest Injury News:
Lightning damage: Chet Holmgren (foot) – out, Kenrich Williams (wrist) – out, Aleksej Pokuszewski (knee) – out
Pelicans injuries; EJ Liddell (knee) – Out, Zion Williamson (hip) – Out, Jose Alvarado (foot) – Out, Larry Nance Jr. (ankle) – questionable.
Proposed Starters:
Projected Thunder Starters:
- G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander6-6 guard: 31.4 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.5 assists (2022-23 season stats)
- G Josh Giddey6-8 guard: 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.2 assists
- G Luguentz Dort6-3 guard: 13.7 points, 4.6 rebounds
- G/F Jalen Williams6-6 guard/forward: 14.4 points, 4.5 rebounds
- F/C Jaylin Williams6-10 Forward/Center: 5.9 points, 4.9 rebounds
Projected Pelican starters:
- G CJ McCollum6-3 guard: 20.9 points, 5.7 assists
- G/F Herb Jones6-8 guard / forward: 9.8 points, 4.1 rebounds
- F Trey Murphy III6-9 forward, 6-7 forward: 14.5 points, 3.6 rebounds
- F. Brandon Ingram6-8 forward: 24.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists
- C. Jonas Valanciunas6-11 center: 14.1 points, 10.2 rebounds
Betting Odds:
- The Pelicans are 5.5-point favorites against the Thunder as of Wednesday morning. SI sports book.
- The over/under for this match is currently set at 227.5 total points.
What to see:
- The New Orleans Pelicans are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009 with back-to-back seasons.
- The Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
- New Orleans is 38-17 this season when scoring at least 110 points. Oklahoma City is 34-28 this season with scores of at least 110 points.
- The Pelicans and Thunder have never played in the Finals.
Be sure to follow the new episode The Fast Break Podcast Prepared by Fastbreak itself Brett Siegel!
Streaming Apple Podcasts And Spotify, The Fast Break Podcast It takes you around the league with the latest news, intel, rumors and interviews from people close to the action for all 30 teams. Stay tuned for new episodes every Friday.