The New Orleans Pelicans (23 - 34) defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder (41 - 17) 123 - 119 on Thursday. Not many people would have expected the shorthanded Pelicans to win a game over the Thunder, but they did just that on Thursday. The key for New Orleans was their lights - out shooting, as they shot 52 percent from the field, 94 percent from the free - throw line and 60 percent from three - point range. The bench differential was huge as well, with the Pelicans bench scoring 60 points to the Thunder's 20. The one criticism with Oklahoma City is that they are a two - man team and that became the issue on Thursday. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both put up monster lines, but it wasn’t enough to win. Durant finished with 32 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists, while Westbrook tallied 44 points, nine assists and four rebounds. Only one other player scored in double - digits, as Serge Ibaka scored 15 in the loss. Up next for Oklahoma City is a showcase game against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. New Orleans came into this game as a six - point underdog and rode their bench to a win. Ryan Anderson scored 26 points off the bench, with Jrue Holiday providing 22 points and nine assists of his own. Anthony Davis led the team with 30 points and also swatted away four shots in the win. Norris Cole put in a all - around great performance, as he accumulated 21 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the victory. The Pelicans will look to build on this win on Saturday against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their next game.
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