Thunder 121 – Pelicans 110 | Rapid Recap

The Thunder GuysDecember 22, 2016 No Comments

The Thunder picked up a much needed 121-110 win over the Pelicans in what turned into an entertaining three point shoot out. The team played well as a whole throughout the first half, and shot well from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City remained in control throughout the first half and held a five point lead heading into halftime.

The start of the second half got off to a rough start as the Pelicans went on a run to take the lead within the first two minutes.  However, the Thunder responded very well. The Pelicans were playing great basketball until Tim Frazier started talking trash to Russell Westbrook. The Brodie went off for 29 points after the trash talk, and knocked down some daggers in the last minute and a half of the game.

The Bench Saves the Day

There has been more than several different occasions this season where the Thunder’s bench came to save the day, and tonight was just another one of those nights. Oklahoma City scored an impressive 52 points led by Alex Abrines, Enes Kanter, and Joffrey Lauvergne who combined for 42 of those points. Kanter was solid as always with another double-double, and Lauvergne did an excellent job at finishing once he was given the ball in the paint.

Alex Abrines had himself an amazing night with 18 points, 2 rebounds, and 1 assist. The young shooter knocked down 5 shots from beyond the arc. Abrines has always had that shot, but he hasn’t done a great job at getting open until this point of the season. He did a great job at moving without the ball and that was the difference.

Russ Refuses to Lose

There are some nights when it seems as if Westbrook refuses to lose. He went into full takeover mode after being taunted by Pelican players. Russ has an incredible ability to quiet the haters and take over in clutch time. The Brodie finished the night with 42 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists.

He only hit two shots from deep tonight, but one of them came within the last minute in clutch time as fans were chanting “air ball” at him from his previous shot. Westbrook was unfazed by the clutch situation and heckling fans and proved to be the league’s MVP once again.

Up Next

The Thunder will be back in action next on Friday night as they take on the Boston Celtics on the road. The game will start at 6:30 PM CST and will be televised on FSOK. It will also be broadcast on the radio at WWLS 98.1 FM.

Article written by Craig Hofeld. Follow @TheThunderGuys on Twitter and Instagram. 

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