Player grades: Thunder have fun in 104-85 Summer League win over Pacers

USA Today

15 hours ago

While Jalen Williams was being interviewed, OKC's Summer League squad emulated the championship winner. A slow start became a distant memory when it ran away on the scoreboard against Indiana in its pseudo 2025 NBA Finals rematch.
The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Indiana Pacers in a 104-85 Summer League win. It was a classic blowout that the former's fanbase was accustomed to last season, as it led by as many as 26 points.
Before this game was laughably out of reach, it took the Thunder a minute to wake up. It took them nearly four minutes to finally erase the zero on the scoreboard with Ajay Mitchell's and-one layup. Taelon Peter's 3-pointer gave the Pacers the early 13-4 lead.
That proved to be Indiana's largest lead. The Thunder finished the frame strong. They were only in a 16-14 deficit after the first quarter. You take that after it took them forever to knock down a jumper. Once they saw a few go in, they couldn't miss.
The Thunder opened the second frame on a 25-8 run. While Williams detailed his wrist injury and celebrated a championship, the Summer League squad started to run the Pacers out of the gym and caught fire from all areas of the floor.
Timeouts couldn't stop the Thunder. Nikola Topic found his groove as a playmaker. Their offense ran a lot smoother when he had the ball in his hands and made quick decisions. Players like Brooks Barnhizer and Malevy Leons benefited from that with easy looks at the rim. Chris Youngblood couldn't miss from the outside either.
The Thunder tallied 38 points in the second frame. They entered halftime with a commanding 52-38 lead over the Pacers. It was much of the same in the second half. Unlike the playoffs, no comeback magic from Indiana's Summer League squad.
It didn't take long for the Thunder to push their lead to 20 points. Mitchell did that with an early 3-pointer in the third quarter. He also gave them their biggest lead midway through the frame. About everybody in OKC had a chance to have a moment.
The Thunder scored 31 points in the third frame. They held an 83-64 lead over the Pacers. The fourth frame turned into garbage time as both teams emptied their benches. They both scored 21 points in it to put the final touches on OKC's best Summer League game yet.
The Thunder shot 54% from the field and went 11-of-27 (40.7%) from 3. They shot 11-of-17 on free throws. They had 28 assists on 41 baskets. Five Thunder players scored double-digit points.
Topic finished with seven points and 10 assists. Mitchell had 13 points and seven assists. Barnhizer had 17 points and six steals. Youngblood scored 21 points. Leons tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds. Jazian Gortman scored 17 points off the bench.
Meanwhile, the Pacers shot 40% from the field and went 8-of-42 (19%) from 3. They shot 21-of-27 on free throws. They had 16 assists on 28 baskets. Five Pacers players scored double-digit points.
Robert Baker led the way with 16 points and five rebounds. Enrique Freeman had 15 points and 11 rebounds. Peter finished with 15 points. Johnny Furphy tallied 11 points and six rebounds. Kam Jones also had 10 points and six rebounds.
The Summer League continues to get better for the Thunder. This was their best and most fun game yet. All five starters stamped with solid performances. They destroyed a Pacers squad with equal talent. Topic continues to look more comfortable as he logs more minutes. This was about as best-case scenario as you could ask for.
Let's look at Thunder player grades:
Nikola Topic: B-plus
As the final seconds ticked away, Topic lofted over a one-handed pass across the court to a step-ahead Mitchell. The starting backcourt connected again for a deep-pass assist that resulted in a transition layup before the third quarter expired.
Topic finished with seven points on 2-of-6 shooting, 10 assists and one rebound. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had two steals.
The deeper Topic plays in the Summer League, the more comfortable he's looked. This was the best he's looked as a playmaker. Some daring passes resulted in buckets for his teammates. He was also sharp in his textbook reads, as his teammates learned to get open from the outside to be fed the ball.
The 19-year-old needed some time to knock off any rustiness from a torn ACL. That was clear through his three Utah Summer League games. Now you're seeing what he looks like when he gains steam. The Thunder offense caught fire once he was in the driver's seat.
If you're the Thunder, you have to like what you've seen from Topic. He looks capable of running the second-unit offense when needed. He could bring an element as a creative and talented passer that the NBA champion lacked last season.
Ajay Mitchell: B
Having had enough of the zero next to OKC on the scoreboard, Mitchell found his way to the basket and drew an and-one layup. The Thunder desperately needed to see a shot go in. The 23-year-old helped with that. After that, the points came in a flurry.
Mitchell finished with 13 points on 4-of-11 shooting, seven assists and six rebounds. He shot 1-of-4 from 3 and went 4-of-6 on free throws. He also had a steal.
This was a laid-back performance by Mitchell. With everybody else doing a little bit of everything, he didn't feel the need to step up as the top scorer. Instead, the 23-year-old went with the flow and facilitated more in this game than in previous Summer League outings.
Mitchell continued to drive to the basket and get to the free-throw line. That's been a theme all Summer League. Let's see how translatable that is in the NBA, but that could provide a scoring boost for the backup guard in his second season.
Brooks Barnhizer: A-plus
After Jones had some words to say to Barnhizer, the latter's teammate had to calm him down. Ty Brewer had a funny method by telling the Thunder's two-way player that "he's trash" and not worth his time. The de-escalation shows the energy the 23-year-old brings to the court.
Barnhizer finished with 17 points on 8-of-10 shooting, five rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3. He also had six steals and one block.
Described as a defense-first player, Barnhizer has lived up to his Northwestern reputation. He caused havoc for the Pacers in their passing lanes with six steals. That was two shy of a Las Vegas Summer League record. He's racked up the steals throughout the event.
What wasn't talked about enough was his savvy off-ball decisions. Barnhizer might not have a reliable jumper, but he can read the half-court defense and make the right reads. He was gifted an easy layup by Topic when he cut to the basket in an open lane.
That's how you can carve out an NBA career. Barnhizer's endless energy on both ends of the floor has produced tangible results. The 23-year-old has been a plus-minus darling. He plays winning basketball and thrives in his role. He knows his bread and butter and sticks to it.
Chris Youngblood: A-plus
Running to his spot, Youngblood knocked down another outside jumper. His quick release makes him an easy player to kick out to when needed. The Summer League percentages have also shown that. The 23-year-old continues to be OKC's best undrafted rookie.
Youngblood finished with 21 points on 7-of-12 shooting, three assists and two rebounds. He shot 5-of-8 from 3 and went 2-of-3 on free throws. He also had a steal.
Among all the new faces, Youngblood has been a standout. You always enter the Summer League with the hopes that some of the undrafted players pop off the screen for the right reasons. He's done that as an outside threat. That will always be a hot commodity searched for from across the league.
With an open two-way spot, Youngblood seems to be a prime candidate to grab it. He's taken advantage of two starts in Las Vegas by being a catch-and-shoot option. At the very least, he's garnered interest from other NBA teams that could look for outside shooting.
Malevy Leons: A-minus
Let's throw in the rare fifth grade. All of the Thunder starters deserve it after they blew out the Pacers. Leons had one of his best Summer League outings. It was highlighted when he threw down a loud dunk after Mitchell passed it over his head for the easy bucket.
Leons finished with 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting, 10 rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-1 from 3 and 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had two steals.
Besides the Thunder's three best players, Leons has been a fixture in the Summer League starting lineup. The double-double proved to be one of his two best games. He was busy inside the paint and even knocked down an outside jumper.
Among players fighting for the last two-way contract, Leons has seniority and physical tools on his side. He spent a year on the G League's OKC Blue and Thunder last season. He also has nice size at 6-foot-9. Let's see what he does in these last few games.
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