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Following a moment of silence for Ingrid Williams, the Pelicans started quickly out of the gates, racing out to a 6-0 lead in just over the first minute of the game. However, the Thunder quickly awoke from a momentary slumber to pull ahead of New Orleans, 16-13, as the teams entered the first timeout of the night. The rest of the first quarter remained competitive, but two late field goals by Kevin Durant gave the Oklahoma City a 29-25 edge heading into the second quarter.
After tying the score up at 29, the Pelicans offense fizzled. The Thunder went on a 14-3 run as Jrue Holiday and Toney Douglas were the only players among the reserves to be able to put the ball through the hoop. Meanwhile, Ryan Anderson, perhaps trying to do to much in dedication of Monty, missed all five of his attempts (he finished a paltry 2-12 from the floor).
At the 6:58 mark, OKC led 45-32. Although the Pelicans made a nice run when Anthony Davis returned to the game, the Thunder still maintained a 9-point edge heading into halftime, 62-53.
The Pelicans defense was full of holes (Thunder shot 55.8% from the field in the first half), and the only reason the game remained within striking distance was due to Davis and Holiday. The duo combined for a line of 31 points, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 steals. Unfortunately, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook one-upped them: 35 points, 9 assists and 6 rebounds.
The third quarter began slowly for both teams, but as to where the Pelicans continued to struggle, the Thunder started to find the range. At the 4:37 mark, OKC built their biggest lead of the game, 81-65. By the time the frame ended, New Orleans was staring at a 21-point deficit.
The fourth quarter didn't fare any better. Anthony Morrow started stroking three-pointers while the Pelicans had tallied just 2 points within the first three minutes. The disparity remained 20+ until the finish.
Anthony Davis and Jrue Holiday led the Pelicans with 23 points apiece. However, as to where the former All-Star point guard added 6 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals, the 3-time All-Star managed to record just 3 rebounds, 0 blocks and a 7-12 free throw display. It should be noted that Davis took a shot to his elbow from Steven Adams which seemed to bother him for the rest of the game.
Both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook scored 23 points. (Was there some sort of agreement to pay homage to Michael Jordan tonight?) Due to the blowout, Westbrook narrowly missed out on notching another triple-double for his career (10 assists, 9 rebounds).
Stay tuned for Quentin's full recap later tonight. Enjoy the All-Star break, folks, but be sure to keep up with The Bird Writes for any trade news as well as coverage of Anthony Davis' All-Star weekend performance.