Thunder sweeps Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — For all the scoring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander does for Oklahoma City, his hustle back on defense after having a shot blocked was a pivotal part of a playoff series-clinching victory over the New Orleans Pelicans.

“To win basketball games, a lot goes into it,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We just know those little things come with winning and we do it every opportunity we get.”

Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points and 10 rebounds and the Thunder beat the Pelicans 97-89 on Monday night to complete a four-game sweep of their first-round playoff series.

The game turned on a fourth-quarter sequence which began with Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado knocking the ball from Gilgeous-Alexander as he attempted a mid-range shot. Pelicans guard CJ McCollum grabbed the ball and dribbled the other way on a two-on-one fast break against the Thunder’s Jalen Williams.

When McCollum’s layup attempt missed, Gilgeous-Alexander, trailing from behind, grabbed the rebound.

“I turned it over, clearly. And then they would have got a layup if it wasn’t for Dub,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, referring to Williams’ defense under the basket. “I just wanted to make sure that if he did his part, I was there to do my part”

Soon after, Chet Holmgren’s putback and Josh Giddey’s 3 tied it at 80 and ignited a decisive 18-2 run, capped by Williams’ 3, that put the Thunder up 93-82 with 3:08 left.

“Guys played with great confidence and when we play offense the way we did in the fourth quarter, the shots will go in a little bit more,” said Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, who a day earlier had been named the NBA’s coach of the year. “When we needed to, we really worked together, executed, got great shots. The guys delivered.”

Williams finished with 24 points. Giddey and Holmgren each scored 14 points. Holmgren also had nine rebounds.

“We knew tonight was going to be a challenge,” Giddey said. “Guys came in with the right mindset ... and we put it to bed.”

McCollum scored 20 for New Orleans, which was plagued by poor 3-point shooting. The Pelicans hit just eight of 34 shots from deep (23.5%).

“We were right there,” McCollum said. “This is a really good team we played against. Obviously, they are the No. 1 team for a reason, and it’s disappointing we weren’t able to get one game.”