Like most teams in the NBA Summer League, Oklahoma City seemed to wave the white flag.
Despite a 3-0 record and a chance to play for the summer league championship within reach, the Thunder shut down Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell ahead of its matchup with the New Orleans Pelicans, who were led by No. 7 pick Jeremiah Fears.
Those playing for OKC didn’t seem to care about the pedigree of the players on the other team.
Behind 10 steals and countless other plays defined by defensive effort, OKC dominated New Orleans, winning 95-81 and holding a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter.
At first, it seemed as if offense would be a struggle for OKC.
With Topic and Mitchell out, it’s two best offensive creators, OKC’s offense struggled in the first half. The halfcourt was a slog and most looks were contested. On the other side, Fears and Trey Alexander combined for 20 first-half points.
Despite how easy the offense looked for most of the first half for New Orleans and how hard it looked for OKC, the Thunder trailed by just two heading into the break.
And as soon as the third quarter started, the roles reversed.
Led by Brooks Barnhizer, OKC’s defense forced a flurry of turnovers and dominated the fastbreak.
Despite 47 combined points from Fears and Alexander, OKC’s defense was too much in the second half. That defense led to offense, and the Thunder scored 63 points in the second half.
Now, with the four required games behind it, the Thunder has a high chance of being able to compete for the summer league championship.
Along with Sacramento and Minnesota, the Thunder locked in a 4-0 record Wednesday night.
There is still several teams with 3-0 records that play tomorrow with a chance to put a damper on OKC’s plans to win another title, but with a better point differential than the Timberwolves and Kings, the Thunder are in a great position to have a chance to play for the championship.
Who knows if Topic and Mitchell will be available again should OKC qualify, but with the offensive flashes shown by Barnhizer, flashes that led him to a team-high 19 points against the Pelicans, OKC may be able to operate without its summer star duo.
