Thunder face the Pelicans, aim for 6th straight win

By Canadian Press on November 17, 2025.

Oklahoma City Thunder (13-1, first in the Western Conference) vs. New Orleans Pelicans (2-11, 15th in the Western Conference)

New Orleans; Monday, 8 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Oklahoma City will look to keep its five-game win streak alive when the Thunder take on New Orleans.

The Pelicans have gone 1-10 against Western Conference teams. New Orleans averages 14.5 turnovers per game and is 2-6 when it has fewer turnovers than its opponents.

The Thunder are 9-1 in conference play. Oklahoma City leads the NBA with 37.0 defensive rebounds per game led by Isaiah Hartenstein averaging 7.8.

The Pelicans score 108.2 points per game, 2.0 more points than the 106.2 the Thunder give up. The Thunder average 13.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.5 fewer made shots on average than the 14.9 per game the Pelicans allow.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Thunder won 137-106 in the last matchup on Nov. 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 30 points, and Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 20 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Trey Murphy III is averaging 19.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Pelicans. Jose Alvarado is averaging 18 points over the last 10 games.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists for the Thunder. Cason Wallace is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Pelicans: 2-8, averaging 107.9 points, 41.4 rebounds, 23.5 assists, 8.9 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 121.0 points per game.

Thunder: 9-1, averaging 121.8 points, 45.8 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 11.4 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 103.4 points.

INJURIES: Pelicans: Zion Williamson: day to day (hamstring), Dejounte Murray: out (leg), Jordan Poole: out (knee).

Thunder: Aaron Wiggins: out (thigh), Alex Caruso: day to day (hand), Nikola Topic: out (groin), Jalen Williams: out (wrist), Kenrich Williams: out (knee), Thomas Sorber: out for season (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

The Associated Press