Pelicans erase 24-point deficit and stun Thunder 116-110 with late 11-0 surge

A 24-point cushion disappeared fast

Oklahoma City looked in command for most of the first three quarters. The Thunder scored 34 points in the opening period, added 33 more in the second and reached halftime up 67-52. Their lead swelled to 87-63 with 6:35 left in the third, a margin built on precise shooting and quick ball movement rather than sheer volume. Oklahoma City finished at 52.6 per cent from the field, hit 16 of 33 from deep and piled up 29 assists.

The early balance was obvious in the box score. Bennett Stirtz led the Thunder with 15 points and six assists, Jared McCain drilled four three-pointers on his way to 12 points, and Aday Mara was nearly flawless inside with 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting, nine rebounds and three blocks. Kenrich Williams added nine points and eight boards, while Josh Dix also scored 11. Through the first half, New Orleans had not found enough clean offence to match that efficiency.

What kept the Pelicans within reach was pressure on the margins. Even before the comeback fully formed, they were earning trips to the line and extending possessions on the glass. New Orleans attempted 47 free throws in the game and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, numbers that mattered because the jump shooting never became smooth; the Pelicans finished at 40.2 per cent overall. Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III scored 11 apiece, Dejounte Murray handed out six assists, and the deficit stopped growing just long enough for the game to turn.

The turn came abruptly. After Barnhizer's basket made it 87-63, New Orleans closed the third quarter on a 27-6 run. Murray hit a step-back three, Bennedict Mathurin buried a three and then knocked down three free throws, Saddiq Bey completed a three-point play, and Jordan Poole scored six late points in the period. By the horn, the Thunder's 24-point lead had been reduced to 93-90, and a game that looked settled had become a live finish.

Reserves finished what the rally started

The Pelicans carried that momentum straight into the fourth. Trendon Watford scored inside, Kobe Bufkin added a mid-range jumper, and Bryce McGowens hit two free throws at 10:36 to push New Orleans in front 96-95. It was not a takeover built by one scorer. The Pelicans kept stacking useful plays: Watford muscled in another basket, McGowens ran out for a dunk, and the Thunder suddenly had to chase a game they had led almost all night.

Oklahoma City did answer. Anthony Pritchard hit a three with 6:22 left and followed it with a dunk 19 seconds later, restoring a 107-104 Thunder lead. That should have been a stabilizing moment. Instead, it became the start of the decisive swing the other way. McGowens tied the score with a three, Karlo Matkovic finished at the rim, Watford added another dunk, and Jaron Pierre Jr. drilled a 31-footer. When Matkovic split a pair of free throws at 4:06, New Orleans had strung together 11 straight points and turned a three-point deficit into a 115-107 advantage.

That finishing group gave the Pelicans their edge. Mathurin scored 13 points in 17 minutes and added five assists. Jeremiah Fears chipped in 12, Derik Queen produced 10 points and nine rebounds, Watford had seven points and six boards, Poole scored nine, and McGowens added seven with the game-tying three that opened the final burst. Oklahoma City's depth also produced numbers, but the late possessions tilted away from the Thunder when they could least afford it.

Our take: the game turned in the margins

This was one of those nights when the shooting percentages alone tell the wrong story. Oklahoma City was better from the field, better from three and nearly as productive in transition, yet lost because the Pelicans controlled the possession game. The Thunder committed 23 total turnovers and sent New Orleans to the line 47 times. The Pelicans turned those mistakes into 26 points off turnovers; Oklahoma City managed only nine the other way. That is a difficult arithmetic problem to overcome, no matter how well a team shoots.

For New Orleans, the comeback should not hide the shakier first 30 minutes. The Pelicans were down 15 at halftime and 24 midway through the third because the offence was uneven and the defence was conceding too many clean scores. A team that shoots 40.2 per cent usually does not have much margin. On this night, rebounding, steals and free-throw volume supplied it. If there is a lesson to carry forward, it is that their depth and persistence can rescue possessions, but a cleaner start would make life easier.

For Oklahoma City, the frustration is obvious in the split between the first three quarters and the last one. The Thunder scored 93 points through three and only 17 in the fourth. They also finished with just six offensive rebounds, so the giveaways hurt even more because there were fewer second chances to recover from them. The shot-making was real, and so was the passing. But when a team gives away 23 possessions, commits 30 fouls and lets a 24-point lead dissolve, the finer parts of the stat line stop mattering.

Scoring moments

1. 1st Quarter · 11:47

   Yves Missi makes free throw 1 of 2

2. 1st Quarter · 11:47

   Yves Missi makes free throw 2 of 2

3. 1st Quarter · 11:23

   Zion Williamson makes running dunk (Herbert Jones assists)

4. 1st Quarter · 11:06

   Kenrich Williams makes 24-foot three point jumper (Jared McCain assists)

5. 1st Quarter · 10:40

   Jared McCain makes 24-foot running pullup jump shot (Bennett Stirtz assists)

6. 1st Quarter · 9:24

   Trey Murphy III makes running layup (Dejounte Murray assists)

7. 1st Quarter · 9:14

   Bennett Stirtz makes 26-foot three point jumper (Kenrich Williams assists)

8. 1st Quarter · 8:37

   Jared McCain makes 24-foot three point step back jumpshot (Ajay Mitchell assists)

9. 1st Quarter · 8:06

   Jared McCain makes 25-foot three pointer (Aday Mara assists)

10. 1st Quarter · 7:28

    Herbert Jones makes 1-foot layup (Dejounte Murray assists)

11. 1st Quarter · 7:11

    Herbert Jones makes driving layup (Dejounte Murray assists)

12. 1st Quarter · 6:30

    Trey Murphy III makes 26-foot three point jumper (Dejounte Murray assists)

13. 1st Quarter · 5:58

    Bennett Stirtz makes 24-foot three point jumper (Josh Dix assists)

14. 1st Quarter · 5:46

    Herbert Jones makes 24-foot three point jumper (Dejounte Murray assists)

15. 1st Quarter · 5:30

    Bennett Stirtz makes 25-foot three point jumper (Jared McCain assists)

16. 1st Quarter · 4:28

    Christoph Tilly makes running dunk (Jared McCain assists)

17. 1st Quarter · 3:14

    Jordan Poole makes free throw 1 of 2

18. 1st Quarter · 3:14

    Jordan Poole makes free throw 2 of 2

19. 1st Quarter · 3:01

    Brooks Barnhizer makes 2-foot layup (Aday Mara assists)

20. 1st Quarter · 2:46

    Bennedict Mathurin makes two point shot

21. 1st Quarter · 2:33

    Josh Dix makes driving layup

22. 1st Quarter · 2:14

    Derik Queen makes 25-foot three point jumper (Bennedict Mathurin assists)

23. 1st Quarter · 1:59

    Aday Mara makes free throw 1 of 2

24. 1st Quarter · 1:59

    Aday Mara makes free throw 2 of 2

25. 1st Quarter · 1:08

    Kenrich Williams makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot (Ajay Mitchell assists)

26. 1st Quarter · 1:01

    Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 1 of 2

27. 1st Quarter · 55.2

    Derik Queen makes free throw 1 of 2

28. 1st Quarter · 36.7

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2

29. 1st Quarter · 36.7

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2

30. 1st Quarter · 22.5

    Derik Queen makes driving layup

31. 1st Quarter · 22.1

    Derik Queen makes free throw 1 of 1

32. 2nd Quarter · 11:46

    Ajay Mitchell makes 2-foot layup (Aday Mara assists)

33. 2nd Quarter · 11:22

    Jeremiah Fears makes 26-foot three point jumper (Bennedict Mathurin assists)

34. 2nd Quarter · 11:11

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2

35. 2nd Quarter · 11:11

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2

36. 2nd Quarter · 10:49

    Aday Mara makes two point shot (Kenrich Williams assists)

37. 2nd Quarter · 9:10

    Josh Dix makes 25-foot running jump shot (Otega Oweh assists)

38. 2nd Quarter · 8:58

    Zion Williamson makes driving layup

39. 2nd Quarter · 8:51

    Otega Oweh makes running layup

40. 2nd Quarter · 8:37

    Trey Murphy III makes free throw 1 of 2

41. 2nd Quarter · 8:21

    Josh Dix makes 26-foot three point jumper (Ajay Mitchell assists)

42. 2nd Quarter · 7:45

    Ajay Mitchell makes 25-foot running pullup jump shot

43. 2nd Quarter · 7:19

    Trey Murphy III makes 25-foot three point jumper (Zion Williamson assists)

44. 2nd Quarter · 6:57

    Dejounte Murray makes free throw 1 of 2

45. 2nd Quarter · 6:38

    Aday Mara makes 7-foot two point shot (Jared McCain assists)

46. 2nd Quarter · 6:02

    Yves Missi makes free throw 1 of 2

47. 2nd Quarter · 6:02

    Yves Missi makes free throw 2 of 2

48. 2nd Quarter · 5:22

    Kenrich Williams makes 25-foot running jump shot (Bennett Stirtz assists)

49. 2nd Quarter · 3:37

    Bennedict Mathurin makes 23-foot three point jumper (Derik Queen assists)

50. 2nd Quarter · 3:10

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 1 of 2

51. 2nd Quarter · 3:10

    Ajay Mitchell makes free throw 2 of 2

52. 2nd Quarter · 2:42

    Jordan Poole makes free throw 1 of 2

53. 2nd Quarter · 2:20

    Jeremiah Fears makes 1-foot running dunk (Bennedict Mathurin assists)

54. 2nd Quarter · 2:15

    Aday Mara makes 1-foot alley oop dunk (Jared McCain assists)

55. 2nd Quarter · 1:45

    Aday Mara makes tip shot

56. 2nd Quarter · 1:26

    Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 1 of 2

57. 2nd Quarter · 1:26

    Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 2 of 2

58. 2nd Quarter · 1:04

    Aday Mara makes 4-foot turnaround jump shot

59. 2nd Quarter · 52.1

    Derik Queen makes free throw 2 of 2

60. 2nd Quarter · 26.4

    Jeremiah Fears makes 24-foot running jump shot (Bennedict Mathurin assists)

61. 2nd Quarter · 4.3

    Jared McCain makes 25-foot three point jumper (Ajay Mitchell assists)

62. 3rd Quarter · 11:27

    Zion Williamson makes free throw 1 of 2

63. 3rd Quarter · 11:27

    Zion Williamson makes free throw 2 of 2

64. 3rd Quarter · 11:15

    Otega Oweh makes 2-foot two point shot (Bennett Stirtz assists)

65. 3rd Quarter · 10:40

    Bennett Stirtz makes 10-foot driving floating jump shot (Josh Dix assists)

66. 3rd Quarter · 10:12

    Bennett Stirtz makes running layup

67. 3rd Quarter · 9:54

    Zion Williamson makes 25-foot three point jumper (Dejounte Murray assists)

68. 3rd Quarter · 9:38

    Christoph Tilly makes 2-foot layup (Bennett Stirtz assists)

69. 3rd Quarter · 9:23

    Dejounte Murray makes 5-foot driving floating jump shot

70. 3rd Quarter · 9:15

    Brooks Barnhizer makes 24-foot three pointer

71. 3rd Quarter · 8:38

    Josh Dix makes 24-foot three point jumper (Brooks Barnhizer assists)

72. 3rd Quarter · 8:20

    Zion Williamson makes dunk (Trey Murphy III assists)

73. 3rd Quarter · 7:45

    Brooks Barnhizer makes free throw 1 of 2

74. 3rd Quarter · 7:45

    Brooks Barnhizer makes free throw 2 of 2

75. 3rd Quarter · 7:27

    Trey Murphy III makes driving dunk (Yves Missi assists)

76. 3rd Quarter · 7:18

    Christoph Tilly makes 2-foot layup (Bennett Stirtz assists)

77. 3rd Quarter · 6:35

    Brooks Barnhizer makes 1-foot turnaround jump shot

78. 3rd Quarter · 6:21

    Dejounte Murray makes 25-foot three point step back jumpshot

79. 3rd Quarter · 6:07

    Zhaire Smith makes 6-foot turnaround jump shot (Bennett Stirtz assists)

80. 3rd Quarter · 5:46

    Yves Missi makes 1-foot dunk (Trey Murphy III assists)

81. 3rd Quarter · 5:20

    Andrew Holifield makes free throw 1 of 2

82. 3rd Quarter · 5:20

    Andrew Holifield makes free throw 2 of 2

83. 3rd Quarter · 4:22

    Bennedict Mathurin makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jeremiah Fears assists)

84. 3rd Quarter · 4:08

    Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 1 of 3

85. 3rd Quarter · 4:08

    Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 2 of 3

86. 3rd Quarter · 4:08

    Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 3 of 3

87. 3rd Quarter · 3:40

    Jeremiah Fears makes free throw 2 of 2

88. 3rd Quarter · 3:16

    Saddiq Bey makes running layup (Bennedict Mathurin assists)

89. 3rd Quarter · 3:16

    Saddiq Bey makes free throw 1 of 1

90. 3rd Quarter · 2:44

    Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 1 of 2

91. 3rd Quarter · 2:44

    Bennedict Mathurin makes free throw 2 of 2

92. 3rd Quarter · 2:18

    Derik Queen makes tip shot

93. 3rd Quarter · 1:44

    Jordan Poole makes free throw 1 of 2

94. 3rd Quarter · 1:44

    Jordan Poole makes free throw 2 of 2

95. 3rd Quarter · 1:19

    Jordan Poole makes 11-foot two point shot

96. 3rd Quarter · 1:08

    Andrew Holifield makes dunk (Christoph Tilly assists)

97. 3rd Quarter · 45.4

    Jordan Poole makes 19-foot pullup jump shot

98. 3rd Quarter · 3.3

    Saddiq Bey makes free throw 1 of 2

99. 3rd Quarter · 3.3

    Saddiq Bey makes free throw 2 of 2

100. 4th Quarter · 11:41

     Trendon Watford makes 2-foot layup (Karlo Matkovic assists)

101. 4th Quarter · 11:31

     Bennett Stirtz makes driving layup

102. 4th Quarter · 11:11

     Kobe Bufkin makes 15-foot two point shot

103. 4th Quarter · 10:36

     Bryce McGowens makes free throw 1 of 2

104. 4th Quarter · 10:36

     Bryce McGowens makes free throw 2 of 2

105. 4th Quarter · 10:22

     Bryce McGowens makes running dunk (Trendon Watford assists)

106. 4th Quarter · 10:03

     Christoph Tilly makes free throw 1 of 2

107. 4th Quarter · 9:45

     Trendon Watford makes two point shot

108. 4th Quarter · 8:38

     Christoph Tilly makes 1-foot two point shot (Anthony Pritchard assists)

109. 4th Quarter · 7:43

     Kobe Bufkin makes 15-foot turnaround jump shot

110. 4th Quarter · 7:26

     Otega Oweh makes 3-foot reverse layup (Brooks Barnhizer assists)

111. 4th Quarter · 7:00

     Brooks Barnhizer makes 2-foot two point shot

112. 4th Quarter · 6:43

     Kobe Bufkin makes free throw 1 of 2

113. 4th Quarter · 6:43

     Kobe Bufkin makes free throw 2 of 2

114. 4th Quarter · 6:22

     Anthony Pritchard makes 25-foot three point jumper (Christoph Tilly assists)

115. 4th Quarter · 6:03

     Anthony Pritchard makes running dunk

116. 4th Quarter · 5:47

     Bryce McGowens makes 23-foot three point jumper (Jaron Pierre Jr. assists)

117. 4th Quarter · 5:23

     Karlo Matkovic makes 1-foot running dunk (Jaron Pierre Jr. assists)

118. 4th Quarter · 5:05

     Trendon Watford makes running dunk (Jaron Pierre Jr. assists)

119. 4th Quarter · 4:45

     Jaron Pierre Jr. makes 31-foot three point jumper (Bryce McGowens assists)

120. 4th Quarter · 4:06

     Karlo Matkovic makes free throw 2 of 2

121. 4th Quarter · 3:52

     Anthony Pritchard makes 2-foot layup (Brooks Barnhizer assists)

122. 4th Quarter · 3:14

     Brooks Barnhizer makes free throw 1 of 2

123. 4th Quarter · 1:52

     Trendon Watford makes free throw 1 of 2