On April 24, the Oklahoma City Thunder showcased their playoff prowess by defeating the New Orleans Pelicans with a commanding score of 124-92 in Game 2 of the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs. This victory extends their series lead to 2-0, intensifying their push towards the next playoff stage.
In contrast to the nail-biting Game 1 on April 21, where the Thunder edged out the Pelicans by just two points (94-92), Game 2 saw the Thunder dominate, outscoring their opponents by a staggering 32 points despite giving up a similar number of points.
The game was particularly exciting with the showdown between the teams' starting centers, Pelicans' Jonas Valanciunas and Thunder's Chet Holmgren. Valanciunas leveraged his size and power effectively, shooting 5-for-7 from the field to accumulate 11 points in the first quarter. However, Holmgren countered impressively, scoring 15 points in the same period by making all five of his field goals, including three three-pointers that caught Valanciunas off-guard.
Reference(s):
NBA highlights on April 24: Thunder dominant in win over Pelicans
cgtn.com
