NEW ORLEANS — Game 82 was a lot like the rest.
A drubbing.
The Thunder put the finishing touches on the most dominant regular season in NBA history by pounding the Pelicans 115-100 Sunday afternoon in New Orleans. Didn’t matter that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his best sidekicks were out. Didn’t matter that there was nothing to play for.
There was, however, history to clinch.
The Thunder, 68-14, increased its average margin of victory to 12.86 points — the best point differential in NBA history.
The Thunder became the seventh team in NBA history to win 68 games. Four of the previous six teams to win 68-plus games went on to win the NBA title.
“We can appreciate and be grateful for the things we’ve accomplished and still be hungry,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “Both things can be true.”
Branden Carlson nets career high
Ajay Mitchell tossed it high and Branden Carlson slammed it hard.
Carlson flushed a pair of alley-oops Sunday en route to a career-high 26 points. He was 10 of 19 from the field.
He bested his previous career high (16) by 10 points.
“It was a lot of fun to be out there, obviously I was playing pretty well,” Carlson said. “Teammates did a great job finding me on rolls. Proud of the team for the way we finished.”
Carlson played a team-high 39 minutes off the bench. He manned the middle for the Thunder after Jaylin Williams (left ankle soreness) exited two minutes into the game.
It was the last game of the season for Carlson and fellow two-way contract players Adam Flagler and Alex Ducas. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible for the playoffs.
“First of all they’re great people, great professionals,” Daigneault said of the two-way guys. “They haven’t detracted at all from the environment, they’ve only added to it. Happy for them to get an opportunity to play today, and good futures ahead of them for their careers.”
Ajay Mitchell still ramping up
Ajay Mitchell made his second appearance after missing more than three months with a big toe sprain that required surgery.
“It feels great to be back, be back with the team and be able to compete,” Mitchell said.
Of the rehab process: “It was definitely tough,” Mitchell said, “but with the people around me — the staff and my family — I think we looked at it more as an opportunity to come back and be even better than what I was.”
Mitchell played 18 minutes Sunday after logging 18 minutes Friday at Utah. Mitchell shot 3 of 10 from the field, but the results are beside the point. Daigneault said the Thunder is monitoring Mitchell’s minutes.
“We’re not going to burn him this shortly after a return,” Daigneault said, “especially with how accelerated the return was, which is credit to the work he did.”
Mitchell and the rest of the Thunder will now have a week off before Round 1 begins.
“This upcoming week is a huge week for everybody from a conditioning and rhythm standpoint with the layoff between games,” Daigneault said. “It’ll be especially good for him because the practices will be really high intensity and will be as game-simulated as we can make them.”
Mitchell, drafted with the 38th pick, was in the Thunder’s rotation prior to his injury. Playing in 35 games before his injury elevated the way he viewed the game when he was out.
“The game kind of got slower,” Mitchell said. It was fun to see that. And for me, it was very interesting to learn different things while being out.”
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.