Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans 2/13/20: Starting Lineups, Matchup Preview, Daily Fantasy
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Oklahoma City Thunder at New Orleans Pelicans Preview
The Thunder and Pelicans meet for the fourth and final time this season on Thursday. The Thunder come into the game as the No. 6 seed in the West while the Pelicans are 4.5 games back of the eighth seed.
Oklahoma City is 32-22 on the season and has won seven of their last 10 but they have dropped two straight including Tuesday night’s game vs San Antonio.
New Orleans is 22-31 but the Pelicans have won three straight and six of their last 10. New Orleans defeated the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday night.
The Thunder have won all three meetings this season but the last two matchups were decided by five points or less.
TV Schedule
Date: 2/13/20
Time: 8 PM ET
Arena: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, LA
Channel: FSNO, FSOK
Injuries
Thunder: Darius Bazley (O)
Pelicans: Brandon Ingram (Q), Kenrich Williams (O)
Oklahoma City Thunder Starting Lineup
PG: Chris Paul
SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
SF: Terrance Ferguson
PF: Danilo Gallinari
C: Steven Adams
Thunder Analysis
After winning nine out of 10 games the Thunder have lost two straight including Tuesday nights game to San Antonio.
The Thunder fell 114-106 to the Spurs as they dropped to 17-12 at home this season. The win snapped the Spurs five-game winning streak and knocked the Thunder another game behind Houston for the fifth seed in the West.
Oklahoma City was led by Chris Paul who finished with 31 points and seven assists while shooting 12-18 from the field. The Thunder were done in at the free-throw line where the Spurs outscored them 25-17.
The Thunder are only two games behind the Rockets for the fifth seed but according to Tankathon the Thunder have the league’s 14th hardest remaining schedule. Houston, on the other hand, has the league’s 24th hardest.
OKC comes into the game with the No. 14 offense and No. 11 defense. They own the 11th best net rating in the NBA at 2.5.
Thunder Quick Links: Thunder Starting Lineup, Thunder Roster, Thunder Depth Chart, Thunder Injuries, Thunder News, Thunder Schedule
New Orleans Pelicans Starting Lineup
PG: Jrue Holiday
SG: Lonzo Ball
SF: Brandon Ingram
PF: Zion Williamson
C: Derrick Favors
Pelicans Analysis
The Pelicans continued their push for the final playoff spot on Tuesday as they defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 138-117. Zion Williamson led the way as the rookie scored a career-high 31 points to go along with nine rebounds and five assists.
New Orleans outscored Portland 75-52 in the second half as they turned a two-point halftime deficit into a 21 point win. In the third quarter alone, New Orleans outscored the Blazers 41-21.
New Orleans was without leading scorer and first-time All-Star Brandon Ingram who missed his second straight game with an ankle injury. Ingram is averaging 24.9 points per game along with 6.4 rebounds.
The Pelicans have won 17 of 26 and now trail Memphis, which holds the final Western Conference playoff spot, by 4.5 games with 28 remaining.
New Orleans comes into Thursday’s game with the league’s No. 15 offense and No. 23 defense. However, over the last 15 games, they rank 11th in offensive rating and 13th in defensive rating.
Pelicans Quick Links: Pelicans Starting Lineup, Pelicans Roster, Pelicans Depth Chart, Pelicans Injuries, Pelicans News, Pelicans Schedule
Key Player Matchups
Chris Paul vs. Jrue Holiday
A matchup of two point guards who are tough to stop as well as tough to score on. Paul is having a great season in Oklahoma City and is a big part of why the Thunder are battling for playoff positioning and not tanking for a draft pick.
Holiday was sought after by several teams at the trade deadline but he expressed a desire to stay in New Orleans and help the young team battle for the final playoff spot. In the last meeting, Holiday got the best of Paul outscoring him 26-16.
Danilo Gallinari vs. Zion Williamson
The most intriguing matchup of the Pelicans-Thunder game has to be between Gallinari and Williamson. Despite missing the first 44 games of the season Williamson has already made his presence known.
The rookie has shown flashes of how talented he is and now he is coming off a career-high 31 points. Gallinari will have his hands full dealing with Williamson who is a rare combination of strength, speed, and athleticism.
This is Zion’s first game vs OKC. Gallinari had 23 points in the win over NOLA back on December 1.
Daily Fantasy
There are several good plays for daily fantasy in the New Orleans/Oklahoma City matchup. Zion Williamson, Chris Paul, and Jrue Holiday are solid options. Williamson costs $14k and is projected to score 33.9 points and Paul is available for $13.5k and projected to finish with 38.8 points.
Holiday costs $15k and has a projection of 37.8 points. If looking for a cheaper option then consider JJ Redick.
Bet on Matchup
If you’re in Pennsylvania, you can bet on this matchup. Sports betting is legal in PA. Our top-rated online sportsbook bonus offers can be found in our articles: Fanduel Sportsbook promo code, DraftKings Sportsbook promo code & Pointsbet promo code.
