Player grades: Thunder inch closer to playoffs with 95-81 Summer League win over Pelicans

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After swishing in both free-throw attempts from a scary foul, Brooks Barnhizer didn't let New Orleans scare him. Instead, with help from his teammates, they pressed full-court and forced an eight-second violation. Just like the NBA champion, OKC's Summer League squad played the same brand of breathe-down-your-neck defense.
The Oklahoma City Thunder destroyed the New Orleans Pelicans in a 95-81 Summer League win. They're at a perfect 4-0 record. A strong point differential gives them a decent shot at making the four-team playoff.
At this point in the Summer League, the gyms resemble a high school game. All of the top NBA names have flown out. Most of the top prospects have long sat out. That finally happened with both of these teams on the second night of a back-to-back.
The Thunder sat out Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell. The Pelicans did the same with Micah Peavy, Derik Queen and Yves Missi. The only household name that suited up for either side was Jeremiah Fears. It looked like it early on. It took a while for both teams to get into an offensive flow as they awkwardly adjusted to the new lineups.
The Pelicans looked more on the same page with a 20-12 lead after the first quarter. A lack of a point guard hurt the Thunder's offense. Branden Carlson was asked to create deep in the paint and couldn't enjoy the outside looks he received.
What they lacked in scoring talent, they made up for with effort. Brooks Barnhizer rolled up his sleeves and fought for buckets. The Thunder scored 20 points in the second quarter. An improvement for sure from what happened at the start. They entered halftime in a small 34-32 halftime deficit.
As Thunder fans flipped over to the ESPY awards to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander bring home another trophy, OKC's Summer League squad flipped a switch at the break. They looked much better and moved the ball around. They popped off for 34 points in the third quarter. That was more than what they had in the first half.
Barnhizer finished around the rim while Chris Youngblood got hot from the outside. Jazian Gortman also had several fancy finishes through traffic. After struggling without Topic and Mitchell, the Thunder figured some stuff out. By the time fans changed the channel back after Gilgeous-Alexander's acceptance speech, they had a surprising 66-57 lead over the Pelicans after the third frame.
The fourth quarter had zero drama. The Thunder blew the game wide open. They led by as many as 20 points. 10 straight points ensured that. Meanwhile, the Pelicans couldn't get anything going outside of Fears and Trey Alexander.
The Thunder scored 29 points in the fourth quarter. Most of the final minutes from the broadcast were spent on the logistics of the Summer League playoffs. As several teams have perfect records, the tiebreaker will be point differential. That gave OKC some extra motivation to run up the score.
The Thunder shot 46% from the field and went 9-of-26 (34.6%) from 3. They shot 20-of-28 on free throws. They had 23 assists on 33 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Barnhizer finished with 19 points and nine rebounds. Carlson had 10 points and four rebounds. Youngblood scored 14 points. Gortman and Erik Reynolds II each scored 10 points.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans shot 37% from the field and went 7-of-31 (22.6%) from 3. They shot 22-of-27 on free throws. They had 17 assists on 26 baskets. Two Pelicans players scored double-digit points.
Fears had 22 points, six assists and six rebounds. Alexander finished with 25 points and four rebounds off the bench. Both have Oklahoma ties. The former attended college in Oklahoma while the latter attended a local high school.
This was a pretty entertaining contest to watch. The basketball sickos stuck around, but many might've tuned out after Topic and Mitchell were ruled out in favor of the ESPYs or other summer events. But by the time they checked the score, you can bet they watched OKC control the second half, which would make the NBA team proud with the type of defense it played.
Now, the Thunder sit and wait. They have a strong chance to make the Summer League playoffs. It'll likely come down to point differential, which they have at plus-14.8. Pretty good. That should be enough to sneak in but we'll have to wait and see on Thursday.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Brooks Barnhizer: A-plus
Tricking his defender with a pump-fake, Barnhizer softly shot an underhanded layup. A couple of seconds later, he intercepted a pass for another steal. Feeling himself, he went up for a poster but was hardly fouled and landed on top of a camera person sitting baseline.
The scary fall caused him to take a while to get back up. But by the time he was off the floor, his entire team came over to check on the 23-year-old. That was quite the sight to see. The two-way player's endless energy was contagious.
Barnhizer finished with 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds and one assist. He shot 3-of-6 on free throws. He also had two blocks and one steal.
With Topic and Mitchell out, Barnhizer was suddenly promoted as the Thunder's best player. A lot more shot attempts were on the table. The role looked too large for him at the start. Nothing to be too concerned about. He won't see that usage in the NBA, anyway.
And then Barnhizer turned it around with a strong second half. He scored 16 points. He cut to the basket and had several finishes deep in the paint. A couple of dunks and layups showed he didn't need a jumper to put up points. That said, he even flexed his mid-range game with a jumper.
This is the type of energy boost the Thunder needed to get an unlikely win. Barnhizer stepped up as the best scorer. He was awesome and didn't need a deep bag to leave his mark. Instead, the 23-year-old relied on toughness and effort to get plenty of second-chance buckets.
Branden Carlson: C-plus
After a Summer League return that had broadcaster Isiah Thomas question the NBA, Carlson suffered the most without a true playmaker available. The 26-year-old came off the bench and struggled in a new role where he was asked to finish inside the paint.
Carlson finished with 10 points on 3-of-7 shooting, four rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws.
With Topic and Mitchell in street clothes, Carlson couldn't benefit from catch-and-shoot looks. Nobody else on the Thunder's roster could draw the attention they did when they drove to the basket. Instead, the two-way player went beyond his comfort zone and tried to use his frame to finish at the rim.
It didn't necessarily work out. Carlson went to the free-throw line but wasn't as efficient as a seven-footer should be. In his defense, he was asked to play out of his role as a stretch five. But hey, that's the point of the Summer League. Might as well experiment now in these low-leverage spots.
Chris Youngblood: B-plus
Somebody who did manage to get his regular looks was Youngblood. Despite not receiving sharp passes, his quick shot release gave his teammates plenty of room for error. All they needed to do was throw in his general radius and they knew he'd let it fly.
Youngblood finished with 14 points on 5-of-9 shooting, two assists and one rebound. He shot 3-of-6 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had one steal.
After a dry first half, Youngblood provided the Thunder with much-needed buckets. He scored 12 points in the second half. He caught fire from deep out of the break. They desperately needed that, as there weren't any real shot-creators out there to create their offense.
Out of all the 2025 undrafted rookies, Youngblood has stood out the most in the Summer League. His outside shot has been a real weapon for the Thunder. With a vacant two-way spot, most fans would be fine if he were added to it just from what he brings from the perimeter.
Jazian Gortman: B
Driving to the basket, Gortman moved past several defenders to get the layup. It was a nice final touch to a game-altering third quarter. With Topic and Mitchell out, the 22-year-old was given more leeway to hunt for more shot attempts.
Gortman finished with 10 points on 3-of-9 shooting, five rebounds and four assists. He shot 0-of-1 from 3 and went 4-of-4 on free throws. He also had two blocks.
The short-handed Thunder needed a ball-handler. That pushed Gortman to the starting lineup. He provided some nice plays both as a scorer and a playmaker. Getting to the free-throw line was also a big plus. He's had his moments throughout the Summer League.
The G League journeyman could add the OKC Blue to his resume. He's played for the Wisconsin Herd, Rip City Remix and Texas Legends over the last two seasons since going undrafted in 2023. He could be a nice bench scorer for them.
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This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Player grades: Thunder collect 95-81 Summer League win over Pelicans