Jonas Valanciunas grabs 20 rebounds in Game 1 loss
Jonas Valanciunas finished Sunday’s 94-92 loss to Oklahoma City with 13 points (5-of-9 FGs, 3-of-4 FTs), 20 rebounds, two assists, and one steal in 29 minutes.
Advice: Valanciunas was elite on the boards in Game 1, with nine of his 20 rebounds being of the offensive variety. Those extra possessions added up, with the Pelicans attempting 11 more shots than the Thunder and outscoring them by a 24-11 margin in second-chance points. However, Oklahoma City was a plus-6 in points in the paint (42-36). Going back to Valanciunas, Zion Williamson’s hamstring injury protects his minutes, as there were multiple occasions during the regular season in which JV’s role was diminished in favor of a Zion/Larry Nance Jr. tandem. Nance played 19 minutes on Sunday, finishing with eight points, eight rebounds, and one steal. Expect a similar split regarding playing time in Game 2 on Wednesday.
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