Through 3 Quarters

After a tough loss on the road their last time out, the Oklahoma City Thunder look much better today on their home court. They have emerged as the frontrunner after three quarters and are ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans 89-81.

The Thunder have been led by shooting guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who so far has 23 points and four assists in addition to two blocks. New Orleans has been relying on the performance of small forward Josh Hart, who has 23 points and four assists along with seven boards.

the Pelicans have lost 90% of the time when they were down heading into the fourth quarter this year, so this one seems just about wrapped up

Who's Playing

New Orleans @ Oklahoma City

Current Records: New Orleans 12-21; Oklahoma City 11-20

What to Know

After a few days' rest for both teams, the New Orleans Pelicans and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet up at 7 p.m. ET Dec. 26 at Paycom Center. The Pelicans will be strutting in after a win while Oklahoma City will be stumbling in from a loss.

Even if it wasn't a dominant performance, New Orleans beat the Orlando Magic 110-104 this past Thursday. Small forward Brandon Ingram and small forward Josh Hart were among the main playmakers for New Orleans as the former had 31 points along with six boards and the latter had 22 points and five assists in addition to five rebounds.

Meanwhile, OKC lost to the Phoenix Suns on the road by a decisive 113-101 margin. Small forward Luguentz Dort wasn't much of a difference maker for Oklahoma City; Dort played for 32 minutes with 4-for-16 shooting.

Barring any buzzer beaters, New Orleans is expected to win a tight contest Sunday. They might be worth taking a chance on against the spread as they are currently on a three-game streak of ATS wins.

The Pelicans' victory brought them up to 12-21 while the Thunder's defeat pulled them down to 11-20. Two offensive stats to keep an eye on: New Orleans has only been able to knock down 43.70% percent of their shots, which is the fifth lowest field goal percentage in the league. OKCs have had an even harder time: they have only been able to knock down 41.40% percent of their shots, which is the lowest field goal percentage in the league. It could be a slow night.

How To Watch

  • When: Sunday at 7 p.m. ET
  • Where: Paycom Center -- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
  • TV: Bally Sports - New Orleans
  • Online streaming: fuboTV (Try for free. Regional restrictions may apply.)
  • Follow: CBS Sports App
  • Ticket Cost: $6.00

Odds

The Pelicans are a slight 1.5-point favorite against the Thunder, according to the latest NBA odds.

The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as the game opened as a 1.5-point spread, and stayed right there.

Over/Under: -110

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Series History

Oklahoma City have won 15 out of their last 23 games against New Orleans.

  • Dec 15, 2021 - New Orleans 113 vs. Oklahoma City 110
  • Nov 10, 2021 - Oklahoma City 108 vs. New Orleans 100
  • Apr 29, 2021 - New Orleans 109 vs. Oklahoma City 95
  • Jan 06, 2021 - Oklahoma City 111 vs. New Orleans 110
  • Dec 31, 2020 - New Orleans 113 vs. Oklahoma City 80
  • Feb 13, 2020 - Oklahoma City 123 vs. New Orleans 118
  • Dec 01, 2019 - Oklahoma City 107 vs. New Orleans 104
  • Nov 29, 2019 - Oklahoma City 109 vs. New Orleans 104
  • Nov 02, 2019 - Oklahoma City 115 vs. New Orleans 104
  • Feb 14, 2019 - New Orleans 131 vs. Oklahoma City 122
  • Jan 24, 2019 - Oklahoma City 122 vs. New Orleans 116
  • Dec 12, 2018 - New Orleans 118 vs. Oklahoma City 114
  • Nov 05, 2018 - Oklahoma City 122 vs. New Orleans 116
  • Apr 01, 2018 - Oklahoma City 109 vs. New Orleans 104
  • Feb 02, 2018 - New Orleans 114 vs. Oklahoma City 100
  • Nov 20, 2017 - New Orleans 114 vs. Oklahoma City 107
  • Feb 26, 2017 - Oklahoma City 118 vs. New Orleans 110
  • Jan 25, 2017 - Oklahoma City 114 vs. New Orleans 105
  • Dec 21, 2016 - Oklahoma City 121 vs. New Orleans 110
  • Dec 04, 2016 - Oklahoma City 101 vs. New Orleans 92
  • Feb 25, 2016 - New Orleans 123 vs. Oklahoma City 119
  • Feb 11, 2016 - Oklahoma City 121 vs. New Orleans 95
  • Nov 18, 2015 - Oklahoma City 110 vs. New Orleans 103

Injury Report for Oklahoma City

  • Vit Krejci: Out (Ankle)
  • Darius Bazley: Out (Covid-19)

Injury Report for New Orleans

  • Anthony Tolliver: Out (Not Injury Related)
  • Jonas Valanciunas: Out (Illness)
  • Nickeil Alexander-Walker: Out (Covid-19)
  • Naji Marshall: Out (Covid-19)
  • Zion Williamson: Out (Foot)
  • Kira Lewis Jr.: Out for the Season (Knee)