OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. –<\/p>\n
The Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> return home Wednesday riding a six-game winning streak after beating New Orleans with a historic offensive outburst Monday night. OKC opened the game with a franchise-record 49-point first quarter, forcing six Pelicans<\/a> turnovers in the opening six minutes and turning them into 13 immediate points during a 24-8 start.<\/p>\n Chet Holmgren powered the early surge with 26 points and nine rebounds, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 23 on just nine shot attempts, and Lu Dort broke loose with 17 points, including three early 3-pointers that fueled a 23-5 run.<\/p>\n The victory was OKC\u2019s 14th in 15 games, strengthening the league\u2019s best record.<\/p>\n \n Lightning Fast: OKC Pounces Early and Never Looks Back<\/p>\n By the time OKC led 36-11 late in the first quarter, the Thunder had scored on 15 of their previous 17 possessions. The Pelicans cut the deficit to 13 by halftime, but the Thunder reasserted control with a 24-11 start to the third quarter. Holmgren capped the run with a corner 3 and a backdoor dunk to push the lead to 93-67.<\/p>\n Isaiah Hartenstein added 16 points, Isaiah Joe provided perimeter spacing, and Gilgeous-Alexander sat out the fourth quarter for the ninth time this season \u2014 a product of OKC\u2019s overwhelming margins.<\/p>\n \n Dort\u2019s Two-Way Impact Remains Central<\/p>\n While Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren continue to drive Oklahoma City\u2019s surge, Lu Dort\u2019s defensive presence has been equally important.<\/p>\n \u201cLu\u2019s impact is unwritten a lot of nights,\u201d Holmgren said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t show up in the numbers, but it shows up on the scoreboard.\u201d<\/p>\n Dort\u2019s ball pressure is one reason OKC owns the NBA\u2019s top defensive rating (104.5) and league-best net rating (+15.2). Since returning from a five-game injury absence, he\u2019s 5-of-8 from deep, and Monday\u2019s performance marked his first four-three-pointer game since the NBA Finals.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s how I made my name in this league,\u201d Dort said. \u201cIt\u2019s not always the box score.\u201d<\/p>\n \n Kings Struggling, Dropping Six Straight<\/p>\n Sacramento arrives in Oklahoma City having lost six consecutive games, a slide that began with OKC\u2019s 132-101 win in Sacramento on Nov. 7. The Thunder dominated the paint that night, scoring 60 points inside behind Hartenstein\u2019s career-high 33 points \u2014 the first 30-point game of his eight-year career.<\/p>\n Paint defense remains a major issue for the Kings<\/a>, who allow 55.6 points per game inside, one of the worst marks in the league.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to contain the basketball, that\u2019s first and foremost,\u201d Kings coach Doug Christie said.<\/p>\n Sacramento also continues to struggle with slow starts. The Kings fell behind by double digits in the first quarter again Sunday at San Antonio and never recovered.<\/p>\n \n Thunder Trends: Best Team in Basketball<\/p>\n Oklahoma City\u2019s six-game winning streak began with that Nov. 7 victory at Sacramento, and none of the six wins have been decided by fewer than 13 points. During the streak, OKC is outscoring opponents by 21.3 points per game.<\/p>\n The Thunder are 10-1 against Western Conference<\/a> teams and rank fourth in the West in rebounding (46.6 per game). Hartenstein leads the team with 10.9 rebounds per game, while Holmgren is averaging 26.0 points over his last 10 games.<\/p>\n \n Kings Trends: Offense Outpaces Defense<\/p>\n Sacramento is 2-9 against the West and just 3-11 against teams over .500. The Kings average 112.9 points, but allow 128.3 per game over their last 10, a major reason for their 2-8 stretch.<\/p>\n Russell Westbrook enters averaging 14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 6.4 assists, while Dennis Schroder<\/a> has averaged 5.0 made threes per game over his last 10, both are former members of the Thunder.<\/p>\n \n Season Series Finale<\/p>\n Wednesday marks the third and final meeting between the teams. OKC won 107-101 on Oct. 28 and 132-101 on Nov. 7.<\/p>\n The Thunder are shooting 47.9% from the field this season, slightly below the 51.0% Sacramento allows. The Kings score 6.5 more points per game than OKC concedes, but the Thunder\u2019s defense has dominated the series so far.<\/p>\n \n Where to Watch<\/p>\n