Thunder Defeat Pelicans 104-95: A Convincing Home Victory

The Oklahoma City Thunder delivered a solid performance, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 104-95 at Paycom Center. This victory ends a two-game losing streak for OKC and brings their record to 38 wins and 10 losses.

Depleted Rosters but Exemplary Resilience

Both teams had to deal with numerous absences. On the Thunder side, Thomas Sorber (knee), Jalen Williams (thigh), Nikola Topic (groin), Ajay Mitchell (hip), Alex Caruso (adductor), Isaiah Hartenstein (calf), and Cason Wallace (hip) were all unavailable. The Pelicans, for their part, played without Dejounte Murray (leg), Trey Alexander, and Hunter Dickinson.

Despite these constraints, Oklahoma City relied on its leaders. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished the game with 29 points and 6 rebounds, confirming his status as reigning MVP. Chet Holmgren also shined with a double-double of 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks, anchoring the Thunder’s defense and energizing the home crowd.

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The first quarter was particularly laborious for both teams, combining for 21.3% shooting from the field and 13% from 3-point range. At halftime, the Thunder led by just 48-46, with 12 points from Gilgeous-Alexander and 11 points from Isaiah Joe.

A Decisive Surge

The third quarter marked the turning point of the game. Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander raised their level, allowing the Thunder to extend their lead to 79-69 before the final period. Isaiah Joe contributed with 17 points and 3 assists.

The end of the game was marked by an incident between Jeremiah Fears of the Pelicans and Lu Dort of the Thunder. According to The Oklahoman: « Jeremiah Fears and Lu Dort got into it after the final buzzer, and both benches emptied. Fears had to be escorted into the tunnel by two Pelicans staff members. »

Lu Dort and Jeremiah Fears got into it on the final play of the game 😳 pic.twitter.com/pd57nEKb5f

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 28, 2026

This victory sends a strong message for the Thunder, proving their ability to win despite a depleted roster. As Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman predicted before tipoff: « This also looks like a statement game for OKC. A chance to show they can still win despite an extremely reduced roster. »