Two franchises hungry for playoff success square off when the No. 1 seed Thunder take on the No. 8 seed Pelicans in an intriguing first-round matchup in the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
Oklahoma City last won a playoff series in the 2015-16 season, while New Orleans has not won a series since 2017-18.
The Thunder, buoyed by an impressive nucleus of young talent, emerged as a force in an imposing Western Conference. Oklahoma City finished with a 57-25 record, clinching the No. 1 overall seed on the final day of the regular season.
They are led by MVP-candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as the sixth-year pro finished third in the NBA with 30.1 points per game. Alongside Gilgeous-Alexander, 7-foot-3 Chet Holmgren played in all 82 games (16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) in his first NBA season, while 23-year-old Jalen Williams averaged 19.1 points per game to continue his ascension.
The Pelicans emerged from the Play-In with the No. 8 seed, courtesy of a 105-98 victory over the Kings on Friday night. Six different New Orleans players scored in double-figures, led by Brandon Ingram, who dropped 24 points along with six assists.
New Orleans will move forward on its playoff run without Zion Williamson, who will be re-evaluated in two weeks after straining his left hamstring late in Tuesday’s Play-In loss to the Lakers.
Oklahoma City took two of the three matchups against New Orleans in the regular season.
Here is everything that you need to know about Thunder vs. Pelicans in the first round of the 2024 NBA playoffs.
As the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference, the Thunder enter their first-round series with home-court advantage.
Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 will be played in Oklahoma City, while Games 3, 4 and 6 will be played in New Orleans.
The complete schedule for Thunder vs. Pelicans is below.
The first three games of Thunder vs. Pelicans will air nationally on TNT.
Viewers can also stream the games on Sling. Sling is the home for the avid sports fans, offering a range of sports channels so you can always cheer for your favorite teams with channels like ESPN, TBS, TNT, NFL Network, FS1 and more.
If Thunder vs. Pelicans is not available to watch live in your location, or if you’re traveling abroad, you can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). VPNs provide a secure and private online connection, allowing you to bypass geographical restrictions to access your favorite streaming services from any device anywhere in the world.
Tickets to the first round playoff series between the Thunder and Pelicans, as well as all the action across the 2024 NBA Playoffs, are available on StubHub. For a complete rundown on seats and prices, use the link below.
(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) Pelicans
(2) Denver vs. (7) Los Angeles
(3) Minnesota vs. (6) Phoenix
(4) Los Angeles vs. (5) Dallas
(1) Boston vs. (8) Miami
(2) New York vs. (7) Philadelphia
(3) Milwaukee vs. (6) Indiana
(4) Cleveland vs. (5) Orlando
