The Oklahoma City Thunder closed their historic regular season in style Sunday, defeating the New Orleans Pelicans 115-100 despite resting all starters. Andrew Wiggins led the charge with 28 points as OKC (68-14) secured the best record in franchise history.
Rookie Branden Carlson added a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder, who won their fifth straight to finish the campaign.
The Thunder never trailed, building a 38-19 first-quarter lead behind Wiggins’ hot shooting. Oklahoma City’s bench outscored New Orleans’ 62-35 in the first half alone, taking advantage of a Pelicans squad missing its entire regular rotation.
Antonio Reeves scored 20 points for New Orleans (21-61), who finished with their worst record since 2004-05. The Pelicans ended the season on a seven-game skid, with only eight players available Sunday.
Oklahoma City dominated the glass (54-47) and converted 17 offensive rebounds into 21 second-chance points. Kenrich Williams contributed 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Isaiah Joe added 17 points off the bench.
The Thunder now await the winner of the Western Conference play-in tournament for their first-round playoff matchup. Meanwhile, New Orleans faces an offseason of uncertainty after their disastrous campaign.
