The New Orleans Pelicans came so close to pulling off a huge upset without star Zion Williamson on Sunday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, however, showed up perfectly at the very end.
The MVP finalist lifted the Oklahoma City Thunder to a tight 94-92 win over the Pelicans in what was perhaps the best Game 1 across the league this weekend. The Thunder — who were hosting their first playoff game in exactly five years at the Paycom Center on Sunday night — became the eighth home team to win their playoff opener over the past two days, making for a rare clean sweep for the first time since 2013.