Pelicans most to blame for brutal Game 3 loss to Thunder

The New Orleans Pelicans fell 106-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder and now find themselves in a 3-0 series deficit in their NBA Playoffs first round matchup.

It wasn’t a particularly intriguing game for the Pelicans, who are still without star Zion Williamson after he injured a hamstring in the NBA Play-In Tournament. New Orleans was outscored in every quarter on Saturday, and now face a daunting task in their attempt to comeback from a 3-0 deficit.

No team in NBA history has ever advanced after trailing a series 3-0.

All of that is to say that the Pelicans really needed this win on their homecourt on Saturday. But who was most to blame? Let’s take a look.

CJ McCollum struggles again

Pelicans guard CJ McCollum is a crafty scorer who can get buckets at all three levels on the court. But, historically, he struggles in the postseason. He’s had his big moments – like in Game 7 of the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals against the Denver Nuggets when he was a member of the Portland Trail Blazers – but in general McCollum’s game doesn’t fully adapt to the more physical nature of the postseason.

On Saturday, in a game the Pelicans desperately needed, McCollum shot 7-22 from the floor, including 2-8 from beyond the 3-point line. McCollum also turned the ball over six times in his 35 minutes.

So far in the series, McCollum is shooting 38 percent from the floor and below 23 percent from the 3-point line. That follows last year’s playoff effort against the Phoenix Suns where McCollum shot 39 percent from the floor in six games. While at this point McCollum is a bit of a known quantity in the playoffs, the Pelicans need much more from CJ if they want to win any games in this series or make some noise next year.

Trey Murphy III needs to open the floor

Murphy didn’t have a terrible game, per se, but he wasn’t the threat that the Pelicans need him to be, especially with Williamson out.

When New Orleans is clicking on all cylinders (with respect to Zion’s absence), Brandon Ingram is getting to his spots in the midrange, McCollum is scoring either at the rim or from beyond the arc, and Murphy III is cashing 3-pointers with regularity. Murphy III went a respectable 2-5 from the 3-point line, but the Pelicans need more if they are to hang with the top-seed Thunder.

Especially with a struggling McCollum, Murphy III attracting defensive attention on the perimeter with a big showing from distance would help open the lane for the Pelicans’ other scorers.

OKC one win from knocking Pelicans out