Category: OKC Thunder Blog

OKC Thunder blog – Oklahoma City Thunder basketball blog

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander named West Player of Month for October and November 2024

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been named Western Conference Player of the Month for games played in October/November.

This marks the second Player of the Month honor for Gilgeous-Alexander. He appeared in 19 games (all starts) and averaged 29.8 points on 50.3 percent shooting from the field to go along with 6.6 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.68 steals and 1.11 blocks in 34.5 minutes per game, as Oklahoma City went 15-4 during that stretch.

Gilgeous-Alexander became the first player in NBA history to register 45+ points, 9+ assists, 5+ steals and 2+ blocks in a single game in a 134-128 win over the Clippers on 11/11.

He recently joined Giannis Antetokounmpo, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as the only players to ever average at least 29.0 points on 50% shooting, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 1.50 steals and 1.00 block through the first 20 games of a season.

Thunder sign Malevy Leons, waive Alex Reese

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed forward/center Malevy Leons, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

And in a related move, the Thunder has waived forward/center Alex Reese. He was signed on Oct. 19 and appeared in one game.

Leons (6-9, 205) appeared in four games (one start) for Oklahoma City in the preseason and averaged 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.50 steals in 13.5 minutes per game. He appeared in 35 games (all starts) with the Bradley Braves in the 2023-24 collegiate season and averaged 13.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.46 blocks, 1.54 steals and 1.3 assists while shooting 49% from the floor.

Thunder sign Alex Reese

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward/center Alex Reese, it was announced yesterday by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Reese (6-9, 230) appeared in three preseason games with the Thunder and averaged 2.3 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 8.7 minutes of action per contest. The Pelham, Alabama native appeared in 43 games for the NBA G League’s Rip City Remix last season and averaged 11.5 points and 4.6 rebounds while connecting on 40.5 percent from three-point range in 17.3 minutes per game.

Thunder eliminated by Mavericks in second round of playoffs

Per the Oklahoman:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander buried his face in his jersey. Chet Holmgren clasped his hands on his head. Jalen Williams, after his desperation heave drifted wayward, bent over, hands on knees.

The game was epic, making the Thunder’s 117-116 defeat in Game 6 all the more agonizing.

Dallas advanced to the Western Conference Finals. Oklahoma City is headed home.

An electric fourth-quarter filled with spectacular shotmaking and would-be game-defining plays was decided by a whistle. A correct whistle, but a whistle nonetheless.

Gilgeous-Alexander, tremendous all night, fouled his old college buddy, P.J. Washington, on a 3-pointer with three seconds left.

Mayhem preceded the call.

FULL ARTICLE

Mavericks take 3-2 series lead on Thunder

Per the Dallas Morning News:

Sprained right knee. Sore left ankle and Achilles. Stiff back.

The accumulation of injuries clearly has taken a toll on Luka Doncic during this second-round series, but Wednesday night he conquered the pain, and Oklahoma City, by summoning Luka Magic in the Mavericks’ 104-92 Game 5 victory in Paycom Center.

“The old Luka, with a smile on my face,” as Doncic put it.

Was it vintage Playoff Luka? No, but he was plenty overpowering, with 31 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds as Dallas took a 3-2 series lead over the No. 1 seed Thunder and moved within one victory of its second Western Conference finals berth in three seasons.

Not coincidentally, care to guess when and where and in what situation Doncic’s other dominant performance was since these injuries mounted? It was Game 5 of the first round, when he had 35 points and 10 assists in Los Angeles in a 30-point Dallas victory that broke a 2-2 series tie.

FULL ARTICLE

Thunder bring back Mike Muscala

The Oklahoma City Thunder this past Saturday signed forward/center Mike Muscala.

Muscala returns to Oklahoma City after spending four seasons with the Thunder (2019-2023) where he appeared in 168 games (seven starts) and averaged 7.0 points on 39.2% 3-point shooting (248-632 3FGs) and 3.0 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.

Currently in his 11th NBA season, the Bucknell product was originally drafted 44th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft and in 532 career games (45 starts), Muscala has averaged 6.0 points and 3.2 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game.

Wemby leads Spurs to upset win over Thunder

The San Antonio Spurs may have the 3rd worst record in the NBA, but superstar rookie Victor Wembanyama is giving them a season to remember.

He’s doing some things we don’t see from most NBA players over the course of their career, let alone in a rookie season.

Per ESPN.com:

In front of their home fans for the first time in 26 days, the San Antonio Spurs and rookie Victor Wembanyama put on quite the show.

After giving up a 12-point third-quarter lead and falling behind in the fourth, the Spurs stormed back for a 132-118 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Wembanyama put his stamp on the victory with a 3-pointer with 2:10 left to put San Antonio up nine and then a block on the Thunder’s Chet Holmgren 20 seconds later.

Wembanyama finished with 28 points, 13 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks and was 5-of-7 from 3-point range. He became the first player in NBA history to have at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 blocks and 5 3-pointers in a game.

Per the San Antonio Express-News:

Wembanyama packed another box score with 28 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks, and made a flurry of plays down the stretch that helped the Spurs hold on for the upset.

Devin Vassell threw in 28 points of his own to go with a career best-matching nine assists and Jeremy Sochan added 21 points and 10 rebounds of his own as the Spurs raced past an Oklahoma City team vying for the top seed in the Western Conference.

All in all, it was a stirring welcome-back game after the Spurs ended a 1-8 rodeo road trip ended Tuesday in Minnesota.

“I can go down the line and name everybody who was hooping,” Vassell said, “but I mean it’s a bunch of guys who pitched it.”

Thunder sign Adam Flagler to Two-Way contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder recently (Monday, February 12) signed guard Adam Flagler to a Two-Way Contract.

Flagler (6-3, 195) has appeared in 14 games (four starts) for the Thunder’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, this season and averaged 12.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 21.2 minutes per game, while shooting 42.0% from beyond the arc.

The Georgia native played three seasons at Baylor University, where he appeared in 91 games (63 starts) and averaged 13.0 points, 3.1 assists and 2.3 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game. In his senior season, he was named to the 2023 All-Big 12 First Team and NABC All-District First Team.