Thunder at Pelicans
Oklahoma City already received a big boost in the return of Russell Westbrook, and now Kevin Durant's comeback from a foot injury is on the horizon. Durant has not been ruled out for the Thunder's visit to New Orleans on Tuesday in a game that pits two teams beginning to head in opposite directions. Westbrook sparkled in his first game of the season Friday in a 103-78 triumph in New York, scoring 32 points on 12-of-17 shooting to help Oklahoma City record its first winning streak of the season.
After Anthony Davis scored a career-high 43 points in New Orleans' win over Utah on Nov. 22, the upstart Pelicans have hit a wall, dropping three in a row while averaging 86.7 points. Davis scored 30 points and grabbed 13 rebounds but received little support in an 83-80 loss at Washington on Saturday as the Pelicans fell below .500 for the first time since they opened 1-2. The Thunder had won 10 straight meetings with New Orleans before Westbrook sat in the Pelicans' 101-89 victory last April 14.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FSN Oklahoma (Oklahoma City), FSN New Orleans
ABOUT THE THUNDER (5-12): Westbrook's presence gave Oklahoma City its best offensive showing in a span of eight games, but the Thunder continued to do what they have done all year by limiting opponents on the other end. Playing without superstar Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks did not get a single starter into double figures as the Thunder improved upon the league's third-ranked field-goal percentage defense (42.3) by holding New York to a 29-for-75 showing. Oklahoma City also had a dominant 57-33 advantage on the boards and has outrebounded its last three opponents by an average of 12.
ABOUT THE PELICANS (7-8): New Orleans' offensive slump has coincided with the loss of guard Eric Gordon, who suffered a torn labrum in the Utah victory. Second-year pro Austin Rivers has been given a chance to fill the void, starting the last two games, but has provided very little with just four points on a woeful 1-of-13 showing from the field. There may not be many other options for head coach Monty Williams other than to continue to give minutes to Rivers, who is 8-for-41 from the field since his 8-for-9 effort against Minnesota on Nov. 14.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pelicans F Tyreke Evans had a career-high 41 points, nine rebounds, eight assists and three steals in the win over Oklahoma City near the end of last season.
2. Davis missed all three games against the Thunder in 2013-14 due to injury and averaged 9.5 points on 31.8 percent shooting in two encounters the previous season.
3. Durant has shot 52.6 percent in 23 career games against New Orleans, his highest mark against any Western Conference opponent.