Player grades: Thunder’s fourth quarter helps collect 107-83 win over Pelicans

Facing a double, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander swung it out to Jalen Williams for the left-wing 3-pointer. The bucket gave OKC a 23-point lead with a little over three minutes left and was a neat way to tie a bow on this one.

The Oklahoma City Thunder used a strong fourth quarter to grind out a 107-83 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Thunder extended their winning streak to five.

The final score is a bit deceptive as the Thunder and Pelicans failed to generate any offensive rhythm for the first three quarters, which resulted in a low-scoring affair. Neither team created much distance on the scoreboard.

Following the first quarter, the Thunder trailed 24-22. A 28-point second quarter by OKC helped flip the score as it entered halftime with a 50-41 lead over New Orleans.

A 27-point third frame by the Thunder built a 77-64 lead to enter the fourth quarter. To start the final frame, OKC’s 17-12 run ballooned its lead to 18 points with a little over six minutes left.

The Thunder continued to add to their advantage as they quickly created a game-high 26-point lead. Both teams cleared their benches with a little over three minutes left. By the buzzer, OKC outscored New Orleans, 30-19, in the final frame.

After initially struggling to score, the Thunder suddenly snapped out of their offensive funk. Overall, OKC shot 48% from the field and went 10-of-33 (30.3%) from 3. It collected 22 assists on 42 baskets.

Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 31 points and five assists. Williams totaled 15 points and seven assists — with nine points in the final frame. Chet Holmgren had 20 points and 13 rebounds.

Meanwhile, the Pelicans’ offensive outing matched its court and uniform combo. They shot an ugly 39% from the field and went 9-of-36 (25%) from 3. New Orleans committed 20 turnovers, which led to 22 points for OKC.

The Pelicans — who were without Zion Williamson as he recovers from a foot bruise — failed to record a single 15-plus-point scorer.

Jonas Valanciunas had 14 points and nine rebounds; Herb Jones had 14 points and four rebounds; Brandon Ingram was limited to 12 points, nine assists and four rebounds; CJ McCollum was held to 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting.

Considering the Pelicans were fresh off of a franchise-record 153-point outing with two days of rest, this was a masterful defensive job by the Thunder to hold New Orleans to a measly 83 points.

The Thunder continue to keep pace for the first seed and add to their league-best 15-8 road record with an impressive away victory.

Let’s look at Thunder player grades.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A

The Pelicans have been viewed as a tough matchup for Gilgeous-Alexander, but performances like these can quickly dispel that.

In 32 minutes, Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points on 10-of-21 shooting, five assists, four rebounds and two steals. He shot 3-of-8 from 3 and went 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.

The eight 3-point attempts were on the high side for Gilgeous-Alexander, who historically takes few. It seems like he’s trying to add the stepback 3-pointer to his arsenal as defenders focus on not giving him the drive.

Playing the full opening frame, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 10 points as the rest of the team struggled to score against New Orleans. An 11-point third quarter helped OKC build a double-digit lead.

In the final frame, Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t needed for heroics as the non-SGA lineups did enough on their own to blow this open. By the time he checked in, OKC led by 17 points with six minutes left and he was only asked to play three minutes before being pulled out.

Jalen Williams: A

The biggest reason why Gilgeous-Alexander was afforded the luxury to play just three fourth-quarter minutes is the monster final frame Williams had.

In 31 minutes, Williams collected 15 points on 7-of-14 shooting, seven assists and four rebounds. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and was a game-high plus-22.

In the fourth quarter, Williams scored nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, hitting on several highly difficult shots — including a turnaround fadeaway jumper that trickled through the net.

When it was his time to shine, Williams stepped up and quickly forgot a quiet first three quarters. He continues to dominate in the final frames and has served as OKC’s closer.

Chet Holmgren: A

Lots have been made about Holmgren’s frame and how it would hold up against bruting bigs. Against Valanciunas, the seven-foot rookie had no issue outplaying the 6-foot-11, 265-pound center.

In 30 minutes, Holmgren tallied 20 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 13 rebounds and two blocks. He shot 2-of-6 from 3. It’s his second 20-10 performance of the season.

The Williams-Holmgren two-man game continues to work as they connected on a pair of tough finishes around the rim for the latter. Overall, the 21-year-old had some impressive finishes in this one — including a fancy spin move.

New Orleans failed to score inside and shot an ugly 19-of-40 (47.5%) from inside of the paint. A lot of that has to be accredited to Holmgren’s presence.

Cason Wallace: B

Intercepting a pass, Wallace pushed it in transition for the one-handed dunk in the second quarter. Regardless of role, the rookie continues to make positive impacts for the Thunder.

In 21 minutes off the bench, Wallace had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting and four steals. He shot 2-of-5 from 3.

The 20-year-old helped OKC turn in a strong final frame, where he played 10 minutes and scored six points on a pair of 3-pointers.

His final outside shot gifted the Thunder their game-high 26-point lead with a little over two minutes left. Wallace has been an integral part of OKC’s success this season.

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Story originally appeared on Thunder Wire