The OKC Thunder’s matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans felt weighty. Every fan of these teams know how precarious their team’s present position in the playoff race is. That made this game (and every game lately) feel like a must-win.
Accordingly, the tensions between the players were high and the atmosphere in the Smoothie King Center was electric. Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams and Anthony Davis all made highlight-worthy plays, but it came down to play from the respective teams’ role players.
Other then those moments the game wasn’t pretty. Style points don’t show up in the win column, but in the craziness of the Western Conference playoff race, the win column is all that matters.