Oklahoma City led by as many as 24 points before a 14-0 Pelicans run trimmed the margin to nine late in the third. New Orleans outscored the Thunder in the fourth to complete the comeback and win 116-110.
The Fourth-Quarter Collapse
Oklahoma City opened the game with a 9-0 run in the first quarter and built a 24-point cushion, its largest lead of the night, before New Orleans answered with a 14-0 run that cut the margin to nine by the end of the third. The Pelicans kept the pressure on in the fourth, winning that quarter 34-19 to turn a comfortable lead into a 110-116 loss. Bennedict Mathurin and Jeremiah Fears, both off the Pelicans bench, scored 13 and 12 points apiece and finished plus-9, the kind of reserve scoring that erased Oklahoma City's cushion. The Thunder are back on the floor in a day, hosting Milwaukee, with a chance to see whether that closing group holds a lead the next time out.
Who Was Still on the Floor
The closing lineup belonged to the back of the roster: Andrew Holifield, Anthony Pritchard, Brooks Barnhizer, Josh Dix and Zhaire Smith were on the court for Oklahoma City's final five minutes, against a Pelicans group built around Bennedict Mathurin, Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, Jordan Poole and Saddiq Bey. Barnhizer finished at -2, the only Thunder player in that stretch to finish in the red, a mark that traces to the fourth-quarter swing rather than his own shooting — he went 3-for-3 for nine points and five rebounds in 16 minutes.
Grades From the Box Score
Aday Mara was the clearest positive: 12 points and nine rebounds on 5-for-5 shooting with three blocks in just 18 minutes, a line that earns an A-minus regardless of the final score. Kenrich Williams graded out a solid B-plus, going 3-for-4 from three for nine points, eight rebounds and a team-best plus-14 in 18 minutes. Barnhizer's night lands as a C: efficient individually, 3-for-3 with nine points and five rebounds, but his -2 ties him to the closing stretch that decided the game.
Did the Thunder win their preseason game against the Pelicans?
No. Oklahoma City led by as many as 24 points but lost 110-116 after New Orleans won the fourth quarter 34-19.
Who had the best plus-minus for the Thunder against the Pelicans?
Kenrich Williams led at plus-14 in 18 minutes, with Aday Mara and Ajay Mitchell both at plus-13.
