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USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Player grades: Thunder drop 109-80 Summer League loss to Hornets in playoff semifinal
Hoping to get greedy and bring home a second championship ring within the month, OKC fans were served a nice slice of humility pie. It's the first time the fanbase has received a piece in a while after they experienced the greatest month in franchise history. The Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a 109-80 Summer League semifinal loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The 29-point humiliation was part of the four-team SL playoff that will determine the winner of the July extravaganza. Even though Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were out, Kon Knueppel still suited up. That gave this playoff matchup some pazzazz. It was a nice surprise to see the 2025 No. 4 pick still playing this deep into the Summer League, especially since Tidjane Salaun was out. Without a true playmaker, the Thunder endured another slow start. They couldn't buy a bucket as they faced a 23-16 deficit against the Hornets after the first quarter. The halfcourt offense was about as messy as you'd imagine. It only got worse from that point. Branden Carlson was called for a clear-path foul as he turned it over midcourt. The Thunder hoped to change the call with a challenge that didn't go their way. A few plays later, Knueppel swished in a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer to blow it open as Charlotte opened the frame on a 12-1 run. The Thunder only scored 17 points in the second quarter. They entered halftime in a 52-33 deficit. That only grew to start the second half. Any faint hopes of a comeback were quickly erased. Knueppel caught Jazian Gortman behind his hip to draw the 3-point shooting foul. The savvy transition move made the rookie look like a veteran. The Thunder scored 29 points in the third quarter, but it was ineffective. They entered the final frame in an 87-62 deficit. Already dwindling in crowd size, most folks likely changed channels as the rest of the game had zero stakes involved and played out of necessity. It was another snoozefest frame. The Thunder only scored 18 points in the fourth quarter as the end of their bench subbed in and logged minutes. As the broadcast crew talked about the NBA's 2025-26 season, they trailed by as many as 34 points. The Thunder shot 32% from the field and went 13-of-40 (32.5%) from 3. They shot 13-of-18 on free throws. They had 13 assists on 27 baskets. Four Thunder players scored double-digit points. Barnhizer finished with 10 points and three rebounds. Carlson had 12 points and seven rebounds. Malevy Leons tallied 10 points. Erik Reynolds II took advantage of the playing time with 16 points off the bench. Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 53% from the field and went 13-of-35 (37.1%) from 3. They shot 18-of-23 on free throws. They had 27 assists on 39 baskets. Five Hornets players scored double-digit points. Knueppel had 17 points and three rebounds. Jaylen Sims scored 25 points on 10-of-14 shooting. MJ Walker had 13 points and seven rebounds. PJ Hall had 12 points. A couple of players almost had triple-doubles. Damion Baugh had 10 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. KJ Simpson had eight points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Well, that was a sour ending to a sweet two-week experience. The Thunder saw their top players shine in Utah and Las Vegas. But with a chance to bring home a Summer League championship, the lack of scoring talent finally caught up to them against a stacked Hornets squad who still had their best player suit up. Let's look at Thunder player grades: Brooks Barnhizer: D Daring Barnhizer to beat them from deep, the Hornets' strategy to leave the 23-year-old unbothered from the perimeter paid off. A productive two-week stint was poorly ended as his limitations were shoved straight into the viewers' faces. Barnhizer finished with 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting, three rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-6 from 3 and went 3-of-4 on free throws. He also had a steal. The Thunder needed Barnhizer to step up as their top scorer. It was a tall task that bordered on unfair. After all, he's only been a role player for most of his basketball life. To ask him to take that next step in this environment was too high an order. After being drafted, most Thunder fans had no clue about Barnhizer. He was an unknown who wasn't on anybody's radar. But a quick glimpse of his Northwestern highlights with what he did in the Summer League was a textbook crash course on his profile. While the defense is a real talent, Barnhizer's NBA ambitions will likely be decided by whether he can hit his outside looks. The ugly side of that was fully displayed in this playoff game. It's not new information to most, but this lackluster performance was a tangible example of why that'll be necessary. Branden Carlson: C-minus Grabbing the ball at midcourt, Carlson couldn't save the possession. He had the ball knocked out of his hands after a couple of dribbles. Out of pure frustration, he grabbed Baugh's shorts to prevent the fastbreak but ended up committing a costly clear-path foul that didn't get overturned after a challenge. Carlson finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-3 from 3 and went 1-of-2 on free throws. These last two Summer League games showed Carlson's limitations. While he's a legitimate catch-and-shoot threat, he needs playmakers to set him up. The 26-year-old can't really create his own looks. Even his sole highlight of a forgettable outing was an alley-oop he connected on with Barnhizer. Nothing wrong with that. If Carlson carves out an NBA career, it'll be because he's a stretch center. Just wouldn't take much away from two straight flat outings after he returned from an ankle sprain. He's still worth a two-way spot and has shown enough flashes to warrant another season. Chris Youngblood: C-minus Camping in the paint, Youngblood was called for a defensive three-second violation. Tough luck. It was another moment that highlighted a game filled with lowlights. He couldn't make up for the scoring vacuum with Topic and Mitchell out. Youngblood finished with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, five rebounds and three assists. He shot 2-of-3 from 3. He also had one steal. The Thunder hoped Youngblood could continue his hot outside shooting. He's been their best threat from beyond the perimeter during the entire Summer League. Instead, foul trouble kept him off the court and a lack of kick-out passers made him invisible. Even though Youngblood delivered a nothing-burger, he was still the biggest standout among the Thunder's undrafted rookies. The 23-year-old was a great off-ball movement shooter whose quick motion required less than a second to attempt a look. If the Thunder add somebody from their Summer League roster to the third two-way player spot, Youngblood made the most compelling case. You always need outside shooting. He's shown enough variety to be more than your standard catch-and-shoot threat. Erik Reynolds II: B-minus As most of the second half turned inconsequential, Reynolds II made the most of the extra minutes. He was on a mission to leave Las Vegas for being more than just the guy who scored on his own basket in a brain fart moment. The 22-year-old got hot as most fans turned this game into background noise. Reynolds II finished with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting and one rebound. He shot 5-of-11 from 3. He also had one steal. He made three triples in the fourth quarter. Diving for a loose ball, Reynolds II left it all on the floor. He crashed into a set of vacant chairs despite the game being unofficially over. While Thunder fans weren't interested, the players on the court were. The undrafted rookie wants to leave a good impression to at least get a G League contract. Let's see if this late-game explosion is enough. If not on the Thunder, at least somewhere else. Reynolds II went undrafted out of Saint Joseph's. He was a high-volume outside shooter during his college career. Those are always needed at any level. Highlights:
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
How do 2025 Summer League playoffs work? Explaining the 4-team tournament format
After another blowout win, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the driver's seat to advance to the 2025 Summer League playoffs. The 10-day summer event has the entire NBA world centered in Las Vegas. The recent draft class and young players headline the extravaganza. Every team plays four games to determine the standings. The Thunder finished with a perfect 4-0 record with mostly lopsided victories, just like what the NBA champion experienced this past season. Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were the top players of this year's roster. As the Thunder have a real shot to make the Summer League playoffs, let's break down what needs to happen ot see if they can become the first franchise to win the NBA championship and then the Summer League championship a month later: Summer League playoff format The top four teams advance to a knockout tournament. That means the semifinals and finals are single elimination. The other 26 teams will play a fifth game. Because only four games are played, that leaves a lot of room for tiebreakers to be needed. The first is point differential. Important to note that it is decided by the average margin of victory, not by the total number of points. There are eight teams in contention to clinch one of the four spots. The Thunder, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves are all 4-0. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets are 3-0. The latter five will play one last game before the playoff picture is set. Important games Only one day remains in the current Summer League schedule. Here are the games the Thunder must keep an eye on if they want to clinch a playoff spot: Hawks vs. Grizzlies, 5 p.m. CT (NBA TV) Spurs vs. Hornets, 6 p.m. CT (ESPN) Warriors vs. Raptors, 9 p.m. CT (NBA TV) Nuggets vs. Clippers, 10 p.m. CT (ESPN2) Tiebreakers Because three teams have already played their four games and won them, their tiebreaker is set up. They now await the results of the above games to figure out if it's large enough to clinch a playoff spot, if needed. Here are their point differentials: Thunder (4-0) — plus-14.8 Kings (4-0) — plus-11.5 Timberwolves (4-0) — plus-9.0 When will the Summer League playoffs start? The Summer League playoffs will take place from July 19-20. The semifinals will be played on July 19 and the championship game will be played on July 20. That means two teams will play an additional sixth game to their Summer League slate to determine the champion. What do the Summer League champions win? The Summer League champions will be rewarded with rings. It's a recent tradition that started in 2022. It's a cool prize to win, especially if you're a bubble NBA player who likely won't have a long career in the league and could bounce around overseas or in the G League. This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: How do 2025 Summer League playoffs work?
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Branden Carlson makes up for lost time as he helps Thunder clinch Summer League playoffs
Running a pick-and-roll with Nikola Topic, Branden Carlson showed off his hops when he jumped in the air and threw down the alley-oop. Everybody has talked about how much better the former would look with a seven-footer. The latter showed why those talks were right as they cosplayed as prime Chris Paul and Blake Griffin. Carlson finished with 23 points on 9-of-13 shooting and seven rebounds. He shot 4-of-6 from 3 and went 1-of-1 on free throws. He also had two blocks. The Oklahoma City Thunder enjoyed a 92-75 win over the Orlando Magic. It helped them reach a perfect 4-0 record in Las Vegas and clinch a 2025 Summer League playoff spot. An ankle injury cost Carlson the beginning of the Summer League. He sat out the Thunder's first five games but had a productive absence when he signed a two-way deal during it. The 26-year-old showed off why they were so determined to keep him on their roster when they tendered a qualifying offer. Against a short-handed Magic squad, Carlson made up for lost time. He dominated at every spot on the floor. The stretch big was a textbook kick-out option and the seven-footer's size helped him finish through a packed paint with dunks. The Thunder have given fans reasons to watch these final Summer League games. Carlson flashed throughout last season and dominated in the G League. His combination of size and shooting caused broadcaster Isiah Thomas to spend most of the second half wondering why nobody else saw his talent as a 2024 undrafted player. "It felt great. Missed being out on the court. It's good to be out there and play some games again," Carlson said. "... I felt like I just went out there and played my game. I've been with some of these guys around, so I kinda know how to play with each other. So I felt ready and easy to get right back into the groove." If the Thunder collect two more wins to get a Summer League ring, Carlson will likely play a big role in that. With Topic and Ajay Mitchell likely done the rest of the way, OKC's two two-way players in Carlson and Brooks Barnhizer must step up.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
OKC Thunder clinch 2025 Summer League playoffs spot, will face Hornets in semifinals
After a day of scoreboard watching, the Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched a spot in the 2025 Summer League playoffs. The four-team knockout tournament will play its semifinals on Saturday and the finals on Sunday. The Thunder have a perfect 4-0 record in Las Vegas with a plus-14.8 point differential. They finished as the second seed and will face the third-seeded Charlotte Hornets. The other semifinal matchup is between the first-seeded Toronto Raptors and fourth-seeded Sacramento Kings. All four playoff teams went a perfect 4-0. The Kings vs. Raptors game will be played on ESPN at 3 p.m. CT. The Hornets vs. Thunder game will be played on ESPN at 5 p.m. CT. The 2025 Summer League finals will be played on Sunday at ESPN with a 9 p.m. CT tip. Fresh off an NBA championship, the Thunder will get another chance to bring home another ring. The Summer League is a two-week extravaganza that showcases all of the top rookies and second-year players. Other players are also there trying to carve out an NBA career. For the Thunder, Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were their top players in this year's squad. Both dominated in their own ways but sat out the last game. They're likely done the rest of the way, even with the playoffs on the line. They will rely on Brooks Barnhizer and Branden Carlson to get two more wins.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
How do 2025 Summer League playoffs work? Explaining the 4-team tournament format
After another blowout win, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the driver's seat to advance to the 2025 Summer League playoffs. The 10-day summer event has the entire NBA world centered in Las Vegas. The recent draft class and young players headline the extravaganza. Every team plays four games to determine the standings. The Thunder finished with a perfect 4-0 record with mostly lopsided victories, just like what the NBA champion experienced this past season. Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were the top players of this year's roster. As the Thunder have a real shot to make the Summer League playoffs, let's break down what needs to happen ot see if they can become the first franchise to win the NBA championship and then the Summer League championship a month later: Summer League playoff format The top four teams advance to a knockout tournament. That means the semifinals and finals are single elimination. The other 26 teams will play a fifth game. Because only four games are played, that leaves a lot of room for tiebreakers to be needed. The first is point differential. Important to note that it is decided by the average margin of victory, not by the total number of points. There are eight teams in contention to clinch one of the four spots. The Thunder, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves are all 4-0. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets are 3-0. The latter five will play one last game before the playoff picture is set. Important games Only one day remains in the current Summer League schedule. Here are the games the Thunder must keep an eye on if they want to clinch a playoff spot: Tiebreakers Because three teams have already played their four games and won them, their tiebreaker is set up. They now await the results of the above games to figure out if it's large enough to clinch a playoff spot, if needed. Here are their point differentials: When will the Summer League playoffs start? The Summer League playoffs will take place from July 19-20. The semifinals will be played on July 19 and the championship game will be played on July 20. That means two teams will play an additional sixth game to their Summer League slate to determine the champion. What do the Summer League champions win? The Summer League champions will be rewarded with rings. It's a recent tradition that started in 2022. It's a cool prize to win, especially if you're a bubble NBA player who likely won't have a long career in the league and could bounce around overseas or in the G League.
