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Australian Josh Giddey, still just 20, has starred in the Thunder's NBA play-in defeat of New Orleans with 31 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Josh Giddey has flashed all of Oklahoma City's "swagger" in his first NBA post-season action, equalling his career-high with 31 points in a rousing defeat of New Orleans.
The 20-year-old Australian added 10 assists and nine rebounds in a statement performance for the Thunder in their 123-118 play-in win.
He committed just two turnovers in 42 minutes of court time and paired 30 points and 10 assists for the first time.
It equalled compatriot Ben Simmons' 31-point effort for Philadelphia against Brooklyn in the 2019 play-offs to comfortably rank among the best post-season NBA efforts by an Australian.
"They're the type of games, when you grow up, you want to be involved in," the Victorian product and former Adelaide 36ers NBL star said.
"And that's as good as I can imagine my first play-off experience being."
The NBA's second-youngest team had been expected to endure another rebuilding season.
But after finishing 10th with 16 more victories than in the last campaign, they are now just one victory away from securing the Western Conference's eighth seed and a first-round date with No.1 Denver.
That goes on the line against Minnesota on Saturday (AEST), after the Timberwolves ended the Lakers' season.
Second-year talent Giddey was at the heart of the action in the do-or-die game, powering the scoring early before star back-court partner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32 points) exploded in the third quarter.
That gave the visitors a 10-point lead but they trailed early in the fourth, ignoring their inexperience to overcome the ninth-seeded Pelicans powered by superstar Brandon Ingram's 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists.
Giddey shot at 50 per cent from the field and made both of his free throws in the final seconds as the Thunder clung on.
The guard got under the Pelicans' skin, with Josh Richardson copping a flagrant foul after connecting with an elbow below the belt of the Australian off the ball.
"Even coming into the season, before we'd played a game, there was a swagger in this group," coach Mark Daigneault said.
"It's a collective swagger; they feed off each other, encourage each other, there's no judgement.
"So they can go out in an environment like this and everybody can stick your chest out - that was clearly on display tonight."
Earlier, Zach LaVine scored 39 points, DeMar DeRozan had 23 against his former team and the Chicago Bulls overcame a 19-point deficit to beat the Toronto Raptors 109-105.
Nikola Vucevic had 14 points and 13 rebounds for the Bulls, who trailed 66-47 in the third quarter before LaVine carried them back.
The Bulls will visit the Miami Heat - who they are 3-0 against this season - for the chance to earn a first-round play-off matchup with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks.
AUSTRALIAN NBA STARS' BEST POST-SEASON STAT LINES
* Josh Giddey (Thunder) - 31 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds (2023 v Pelicans)
* Ben Simmons (76ers) - 31 points, nine assists, four rebounds (2019 v Nets)
* Joe Ingles (Jazz) - 27 points, three rebounds, two assists (2018 v Rockets)
* Patty Mills (Spurs) - 21 points, three rebounds, three assists (2018 v Warriors)
* Matthew Dellavedova - 20 points, five rebounds, four assists (2015 v Warriors)
* Luc Longley (Bulls) - 19 points, three rebounds, two assists (1996 v Seattle)
* Andrew Bogut (Warriors) - 15 points, 14 rebounds, two assists (2016 v Thunder)
