Pelicans take challenges into meeting at Thunder

The New Orleans Pelicans are no strangers to adversity.

It's been a constant theme in recent years as Zion Williamson and others have missed significant playing time.

The Pelicans hope the latest bit of misfortune will be a bump in the road, though it could stretch through Wednesday's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

New Orleans star forward Brandon Ingram is listed as questionable for the game after being scratched from Monday's loss to Golden State about an hour before tip-off due to right knee soreness.

The Pelicans did get some good news concerning Ingram's knee, though.

"He got imaging done, nothing concerning," Pelicans coach Willie Green said Tuesday.

Ingram and Williamson showed up to be a force in the first two games of the season, both New Orleans wins, leading Green to call the pair "the best freaking duo in the NBA."

Ingram is leading the Pelicans with an average of 22.5 points per game. But without him, New Orleans fell to Golden State 130-102 on Monday.

"We have to be better," Green said. "We have to have more toughness."

Even before Ingram's injury, the Pelicans' depth on the wing has been tested with Naji Marshall and Trey Murphy both out with injuries.

The last time the Pelicans and Thunder faced off was in last season's play-in game, won by the Thunder 123-118.

Both teams entered the season with aspirations to move higher in the Western Conference.

The Thunder are coming off a 124-112 home win over the Detroit Pistons on Monday.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bounced back from a seven-point game in Sunday's 128-95 home loss to the Denver Nuggets to score 32, improving his scoring average to 26 points per game.

"Not surprised," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said of Gilgeous-Alexander's bounce-back. "I mean, he's as steady as they come. If there's one thing that we've learned from him over the last few years, it's that his ability to stay consistent through the ups and downs of a season is very impressive."

While Gilgeous-Alexander averages 20.9 points per game against the Pelicans in his career -- including 33.5 last season -- he's struggled shooting against New Orleans. His 42.5 shooting percentage in 16 meetings with the Pelicans is his worst against an opponent outside of the Thunder -- whom he faced just four times during his rookie season in 2018-19 before being traded to Oklahoma City.

The Thunder entered the game with a 111.1 offensive rating -- points per 100 possessions, No. 12 in the league entering Tuesday. The Pelicans are in the top 10 in the league in defensive rating at 105.2.

Wednesday's game will be the first of three meetings between the teams this season and the only matchup in Oklahoma City.

For the Thunder, it's the third in a season-long six-game homestand, while it's the lone road game in a five-game stretch for the Pelicans.

Oklahoma City remains without Jaylin Williams (hamstring) and Kenrich Williams (back spasms). Neither has played this season.

- Field Level Media