Preview: Struggling Pelicans Face League-Leading Thunder OKLAHOMA CITY (Interstat) — A matchup of teams at opposite ends of the NBA standings unfolds Tuesday when the Oklahoma City Thunder host the New Orleans Pelicans at Paycom Center. The Thunder (37-9) enter as one of the league’s elite, boasting the best record in the Western Conference. They are coming off a rare 114-117 home loss to Indiana on Friday, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Despite the setback, Oklahoma City has won 10 of its last 12 games. The Pelicans (11-36) own one of the league’s poorest records but are fresh off a 133-127 road victory over Memphis, just their third win in the last 15 games. New Orleans has lost eight of its last 10. All signs point to a steep challenge for the visiting Pelicans. Oklahoma City has dominated the season series, winning the first two meetings by an average of 24 points: 137-106 at home on Nov. 2 and 126-109 in New Orleans on Nov. 17. The game features two of the league’s most potent scorers in recent weeks. Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 35.1 points over his last 10 games, including a 47-point performance against Indiana. He leads the NBA in scoring at 32.8 points per game. For New Orleans, forward Trey Murphy has been a bright spot amid the losses, averaging 28.8 points over the same 10-game span. He scored 32 points in Friday’s win over Memphis, where he was supported by Saddiq Bey (36 points) and Zion Williamson (24 points, 11 rebounds). The Thunder’s balance, however, presents a formidable obstacle. Center Chet Holmgren is coming off a 25-point, 13-rebound, three-block performance against the Pacers, providing a major interior presence alongside Gilgeous-Alexander’s perimeter dominance. Following this game, Oklahoma City begins a tough two-game road trip at Minnesota and Denver. New Orleans returns home to host Memphis on Friday before embarking on a four-game Eastern Conference road swing.