Butler had been defending at full force from the opening tip. Once he got going, the Pelicans were truly firing on all cylinders.
Fortunately, Oladipo found some of his form at the crucial moment. He drove and shot his way to 7 points on the offensive end, helping the Thunder keep things from getting out of hand.
With 9 minutes gone in the quarter, the score was 33–16, with the Pelicans holding a massive lead.
Both teams gradually went to their rotations.
Westbrook went to the bench for the Thunder, while Griffin returned to the floor. Sabonis and Felton were also substituted in.
The Pelicans also made widespread substitutions. Other than Butler, every starter went to the bench for a rest.
Brogdon, Bogdan, Siakam, and Harrell entered the game one after another.
On the Pelicans' offensive opportunity, Brogdon ran a pick and roll with Siakam, then passed the ball back to Siakam at the three-point line. Siakam's Three-point shot clanged off the rim.
Sabonis secured the Defensive Rebound.
The Thunder brought the ball into the frontcourt. Griffin posted Siakam up, then drew a Hand-check Foul from him on a turnaround shot. Both free throws made.
The Thunder cut the deficit to 15 points.
Donovan let out a breath on the sidelines, and his frown relaxed.
Griffin's poor start was not entirely a bad thing. At least he could lead the team in cutting into the deficit during the Bench Connection Segment.
On the other hand, Stevens had been too confident and had pulled too many starters at once.
Players like Siakam, who had performed well in the Pre-season, might not necessarily be effective in the Regular Season, especially in a matchup against Griffin.
This was the Thunder's chance to close the gap.
Swish!
The thought had barely crossed his mind