Thunder Gameday: OKC Regroups to Take on Utah Jazz

After taking a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in its first game of Summer League, the Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance to grab its first win tonight.

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The first game of the Oklahoma City Thunder's 2024 Summer League wasn't ideal, but it showed a lot of promise.

The Thunder fell to the Philadelphia 76ers, 102-92, where it couldn't keep up the same offensive pace in the second half. Still, players such as Adam Flager and Ajay Mitchell impressed with 18 and 14 points, respectively, while Dillon Jones had a near triple double of nine points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.

The Utah Jazz will be Oklahoma City's next opponent, who just narrowly defeated the Memphis Grizzlies. They will have the advantage in their hometown of Salt Lake City, so the Thunder will certainly have its hands full in its second contest.

If Oklahoma City were to lose tonight it would be below .500 heading into Las Vegas, which it would of course like to avoid.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

As mentioned, the Thunder had a few standouts in its first contest. Two of those were incoming rookies Jones and Mitchell, which is a good sign moving forward for the rest of Summer League. However, there were some dissapointments.

Ousmane Dieng recorded 10 points, six rebounds and five assists, but struggled with a 3-of-14 shooting performance that dampened his night. Efficiency as a whole was a problem for Oklahoma City in the loss to Philadelphia, only recording a 39.3% shooting percentage or the entire contest. To get a win tonight, it'll have to shoot the basketball more efficiently.

Keyonte George had a 30-point game for Utah last night, 17 of which came from the free-throw line. Incoming rookie Isaiah Collier also had a great first outing of his own, dropping 14 points, six rebounds and six assists on 5-of-11 shooting. It has a roster full of solid options, not to mention the brother of Jalen Williams: Cody Williams.

To prevent another loss, the Thunder will need to play at a consistent level for all four quarters instead of getting to ahead of itself in the second half. It has the talent, it just needs to put it all together.

RECORDS:

Oklahoma City Thunder (0-1) at Utah Jazz (1-0)

INJURIES: 

Check out our live injury tracker, along with our game day injury report that will release later today.

WHEN: 

Tuesday, July 9, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. CDT

LOCATION: 

Delta Center - Salt Lake City, Utah

TV/RADIO: 

ESPN2, 98.1 FM

Live Stream: fuboTV (Start Your Free Trial)

After one game, there's no need for Okahoma City to panic. It has plenty of time to figure out the rotation and how to play together, but if it can play a full game, grabbing its first win of Summer League is very possible against the Jazz.

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