NBA News Wire
Pelicans 112, Thunder 104
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
NEW ORLEANS — Guard Tyreke Evans scored 15 consecutive fourth-quarter points en route to a season-high 30, and the New Orleans Pelicans ruined Kevin Durant’s season debut with a 112-104 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night at the Smoothie King Center.
Pelicans forward Anthony Davis added 25 points, 10 rebounds, six steals and four blocks.
In his first game after missing nearly seven weeks with a broken right foot, Durant played 29 minutes and scored a team-high 27 points on 9-of-18 shooting. Guard Russell Westbrook scored 21 points but finished 6-for-20 from the floor.
New Orleans (8-8) led 82-64 with 2:30 left in the third quarter, but the Thunder (5-13) used a 10-3 spurt — with guards Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb scoring four points each — to end the quarter and pull within 85-74.
The Thunder closed the gap to 90-85 with 9:24 left on a 3-pointer by Lamb, but the Pelicans scored the next 10 points — all on layups, four by Evans and the other by guard Jrue Holiday — to take command, 100-85.
The Pelicans closed the final 5:18 of the first half with a 26-9 run — including the final 12 points of the second quarter — to lead 69-52 at the break. Despite shooting only 15-for-25 from the foul line, New Orleans used a 40-26 second quarter to break open the game.
Davis was a force on both ends, scoring 21 points, grabbing nine rebounds and making three steals before halftime to get the New Orleans fast break going. The Pelicans also got 13 points from Anderson in the half, including a 3-pointer from the left wing in the final minute. Evans added 12 points and five assists, and Holiday had 10 points and seven assists.
Durant shook off the rust with 12 first-half points, but Westbrook struggled after having scored 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting in his first game back from a broken hand last Friday. Westbrook missed his first six shots and eight of his first 10. He made his first field goal — a driving layup — with 2:57 left in the half.
NOTES: Thunder coach Scott Brooks said he continued to be stunned that G Russell Westbrook scored 32 points and had eight assists in just 24 minutes in a 105-78 victory over the Knicks last Friday after missing 14 games with a broken right hand. “It’s crazy that he did it,” Brooks said. “What Russell did in the first game is obviously incredible, borderline phenomenal.” … Pelicans coach Monty Williams said the rest of the NBA must be on edge with a healthy Durant returning to the Thunder lineup. “Nobody stops Kevin Durant,” he said. “He is an all-world player.”
