New Orleans Pelicans vs Oklahoma City Thunder Match Player Stats On Nov 01, 2023

CJ McCollum scored a season-high 29 points to lead the New Orleans Pelicans to a come-from-behind 110-106 victory over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.

The Pelicans trailed by as many as 22 points in the first half, struggling in the absence of Brandon Ingram.

Ingram missed his second consecutive game due to right knee soreness.

That early deficit turned into a 12-point advantage by the middle stages of the fourth quarter. The Pelicans still led by a dozen before a 13-2 Oklahoma City run tightened the game in the final two minutes.

But the Thunder missed their final five shots from the field, allowing New Orleans to escape with a win.

Oklahoma City had a chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 3-pointer bounced off the front rim. McCollum snagged the rebound and hit a pair of free throws at the other end to cap the largest comeback in the NBA this season.

McCollum was 10 of 17 from the field, 5 of 8 from 3-point range and added 11 rebounds. Zion Williamson added 20 points and Jonas Valanciunas supplied 19 for the Pelicans.

New Orleans' offense was virtually non-existent from the start, as it struggled both inside and outside the arc.

The Pelicans were just 5 of 28 (17.9 percent) from the field and 1 of 12 (8.3 percent) from deep in the first quarter as Oklahoma City took a 33-14 lead after 12 minutes of action.

New Orleans' 14 points were its fewest in a quarter since it scored 13 points in the second quarter of a game against the Los Angeles Clippers on April 3, 2022.

Things didn't get much better for the Pelicans for a big chunk of the second, but they went into the break trailing just 51-43 thanks in large part to a string of 15 straight points.

Even when the Pelicans were struggling offensively, there were signs that pointed to their ability to come back.

New Orleans controlled the boards early and outscored the Thunder 13-2 on second-chance points in the first half.

For the game, Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 20 points, while Chet Holmgren added 19 points and 11 rebounds.

--Field Level Media