Clash at Smoothie King Center: New Orleans Pelicans Host Oklahoma City Thunder

As the New Orleans Pelicans prepare to welcome the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Smoothie King Center, fans are eager for what promises to be an electrifying encounter. The upcoming game is a chance for the Pelicans to capitalize on their home court advantage and continue building on their performance trends from the previous season.

Last season, the Pelicans displayed a solid shooting performance with an overall field goal percentage of 46 percent. Their proficiency was particularly notable from two-point range where they shot 53 percent. However, there's room for improvement beyond the arc as they managed only 33 percent from three-point territory.

The team also showed strength in true shooting percentage at 56 percent, which takes into account free throws and three-pointers, indicating efficient scoring. The free throw line was another area of success with a commendable 79 percent completion rate.

Defensively, last season's stats reveal that New Orleans averaged nearly eight steals and four blocks per game, demonstrating their ability to disrupt opponents' play. On the boards, they pulled down an average of 45 rebounds per game which contributed significantly to their possession control.

However, turnovers were a concern with over 13 per game last season; reducing these will be crucial against an opportunistic Thunder squad.

The Pelicans' fast break execution was impressive as well – accounting for over six points per game – showcasing their ability to capitalize on quick transitions. Maintaining this pace could be key in outmaneuvering Oklahoma City's defense.

As we look ahead to this matchup at Smoothie King Center, it’s clear that if New Orleans can leverage its strong shooting inside and tighten up its perimeter defense while keeping turnovers low, they could very well dominate proceedings in front of their home crowd.

Fans can catch all the action live on ESPN (channel 206) when these two teams face off on April 13th at 1:30 AM UTC (April 12th at local time).