Young Thunder Sweep the Pelicans!

        The Oklahoma City Thunder were the biggest surprise team in the NBA this season. The Thunder have the second youngest age average, 23.8, behind the San Antonios Spurs with an age average of 23.5. The Thunder had a successful regular season, finishing with a 57-25 record, they also had the third best overall offensive rating along with the fourth best defensive rating in the entire league. The Thunder had an excellent regular season but many were speculating the team's lack of playoff experience. As they took on the New Orleans Pelicans in the first-round they did not look like a team that lacks playoff experience. 

        The Pelicans were without their All-Star forward Zion Williamson due to a hamstring injury which he suffered in the Play-In Tournament against the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Pelicans had a healthy Zion maybe they stood a better chance but that just wasn't the case. The Thunder showed a lot of excellence on both sides of the court and defensively they did a great job not allowing CJ McCollum and Brandon Ingram to catch a rhythm. McCollum, who is known for his three-point shooting, only shot 24.1% from three-point range throughout the first-round series. Ingram, who is known for his scoring ability, only shot 34.5% from the field and 25% from three-point range. 

        While Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the face of the Thunder, the team played great team basketball. Sharing the ball, making the right play and collectively making great efforts. The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the New Orleans Pelicans in four games and will advance to the second-round. This is the first time the Thunder have won a playoff series since 2016. They will now await the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Dallas Mavericks series, which the series is tied 2-2.