Tag Archives: Oklahoma City Blue

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Thunder preview (Game 56 of 82)

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  • Milwaukee Bucks (22-30, 12th in the East) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (42-13, 1st in the West)
  • When: Thursday, 12 February 2026 at 6:30pm CST
  • Where: Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK
  • TV: Prime Video / FDSN-OK
  • Offensive Rating: MIL: 113.0 (24th) / OKC: 118.1 (4th)
  • Defensive Rating: MIL: 116.7 (22nd) / OKC: 106.1 (1st)
  • Net Rating: MIL: -3.7 (23rd) / OKC: 12.0 (1st)
  • Current Streaks: MIL: Winners of 4 of their last 5 / OKC: Winners of 4 of their last 6

The Tip-Off

Dang it! You write about the man in the last gameday preview. He puts together his best game of the season. And then the Injury Monster rears it’s ugly head again. This has been a miserable season, health-wise, for Jalen Williams. Against the Suns, Dub was out there looking like All-Star Dub for the entirety of the game, putting on a clinic in the 3rd quarter. But on his single miss of the game, a fast-break lay-up attempt where he had to reach for the ball in full stride, he jogged back to the other side of the court and pointed to the bench while grabbing his hamstring. Timeout, Thunder. Dub heads back to the locker room, never to be seen again. Here’s hoping the All-Star break can help heal some of the Thunder’s walking wounded.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between these two bitter rivals (that’s the joke – they were matched up on rivalry week…for why? I don’t know). The Thunder won the first meeting 122-102, in a game where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 40 points, while Ajay Mitchell and Kenrich Williams each contributed 18 points apiece.

Betting Info, presented by FanDuel

  • Line: OKC -13
  • O/U: 214.5

Injury Report

OKC

  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Branden Carlson – OUT (back spasms)
  • Isaiah Hartenstein – OUT (calf)
  • Ajay Mitchell – OUT (abdominal strain)
  • Thomas Sorber – OFS (knee/ACL)
  • Jalen Williams – OUT (hamstring)

MIL

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo – OUT (calf)
  • Kyle Kuzma – Questionable (foot)
  • Taurean Prince – OUT (neck)
  • Ryan Rollins – Questionable (foot)

Three Big Things

  1. Hot-shooting Team – Both teams come into this game on shooting hot streaks over the past 10 days. Since Feb. 2nd, Milwaukee is 4th in FG% and 1st in 3pt FG%. During that same timespan, OKC is 11th in FG% and 4th in 3pt FG%. Granted, three of the teams that Milwaukee played in that timeframe are in the bottom 10 of defensive rating, but sometimes the opponent doesn’t really matter if you are riding a hot wave.
  2. 1…2…3…Cancun! – The game before the All-Star break has the possibility of being a weird game. Milwaukee comes into the game on a hot streak, with young players that want to prove themselves not only to the Bucks, but also to Giannis Antetokounmpo. Guys like Cam Thomas and Thunder legend Ousmane Dieng are getting the green light to put all their skills on display and it’s resulted in some spirited wins here lately. Meanwhile, the Thunder likely just want to get through this game unscathed, so their guys can get a week’s worth of rest.
  3. Nikola Topic – It’s been a long road, but Nikola Topic will make his professional debut tonight. After rehabbing an ACL injury the entirety of his rookie season to battling testicular cancer in the first half of this season, Topic has traveled a journey that would break many. He made his G-League debut earlier this week and immediately looked like he belonged. He scored 7 points and dished out 7 assists in his first game with the Blue. The next night, he scored 22 points and handed out 4 assists. In the absence of SGA, Mitchell, and now, Dub, having Topic out there to facilitate and play-make will be a gift.

 

Topic: Thunder Podcast – The Weekly, Episode 11

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Topic ThunderOn the latest episode of The Weekly, the Topic: Thunder crew discuss the following topics:

  • Looking back at the 3-game road trip from last week
  • Player of the Week
  • Khris Middleton trade ideas
  • Houston struggling, smiles abound
  • The OKC Blue are the top team in the G-League
  • People imitating Russell Westbrook, but Russ receiving no credit
  • Looking at the next 4 games against tough Western Conference opponents
  • And more…

Thank you for listening to our podcast. You can catch the post-game recaps on the 2018-19 Schedule page on this site and on Thunderous Intentions. You can listen to us anywhere you get your podcasts. Please leave us a 5-star review on Itunes if you would like. That really helps with our ratings on Itunes. You can follow us and interact with us on Twitter (@OKCTopicThunder). Thank you for listening, and as always, Thunder Up!

Thunder At A Glance – 18 September 2018

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img_4063Nick Gallo (OKCThunder.com) on Steven Adams being the Thunder’s center of gravity: “The same can be said of the Thunder big man’s impact on the defensive side of the ball. With precise and deliberate communication and quick feet, Adams helps guards stay in front of the ball in pick and roll coverage. He can even switch out to the three-point line when it’s necessary or there’s a good matchup. With each successive year, the force that Adams brings to the team continues to grow, and that consistent improvement is why he’s become one of the most essential players on the Thunder’s roster and one of the very best centers in the NBA.”

Erik Horne (NewsOK) on the Blue’s acquisition of KJ McDaniels: “G-League contracts are with the league, not with the parent teams. McDaniels currently doesn’t have an NBA contract, but if he were to enter into a G League contract, the Blue, not the Thunder, would own his rights. The Blue would also own McDaniels’ rights if he were to play overseas, then return and sign a G League contract.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 11 September 2018

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img_4063Erik Horne (NewsOK) with a preview of what could be the Thunder’s new City edition jerseys: “On Monday, Red Earth – a non-profit which promotes the traditions of American Indian arts and cultures – posted photos of the new uniforms on its Twitter page. Those photos are accurate, The Oklahoman learned.”

Horne (NewsOK) on Team USA selecting Bryce Alford of the Oklahoma City Blue to play on the USA World Cup Qualifying Team: “The FIBA World Cup Qualifying games are used to qualify nations that will compete in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China, as well as seven nations to the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Coached by former NBA head coach Jeff Van Gundy, the team will begin the second round of qualifying on Sept. 14 against Uruguay in Las Vegas, then play Panama on Sept. 17 in Panama City.” Continue reading →

Thunder At A Glance – 28 August 2018

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img_4063Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on the Thunder’s signing of Clemson star Donte Grantham: “The 6-foot-8 Grantham averaged 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds as a senior at Clemson, but his season was cut short on Jan. 20, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.”

The Thunder’s G-League affiliate, the Blue, released their regular season schedule on Monday.  Continue reading →

NTTB Thunder Rumblings – 16 July 2018

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img_4063Brett Dawson (NewsOK) on Thunder summer league (and Blue) coach Mark Daigneault: “He learned basketball from Jim Calhoun, for whom he worked as a student manager at UConn, and Ralph Willard, who hired him as an assistant at Holy Cross, and from Billy Donovan, who brought him on at Florida as a graduate assistant and ultimately followed him to Oklahoma City.”

Erik Horne (NewsOK) looks at the rotational players for the Thunder during summer league: “Diallo shouldn’t have lasted until the No. 45 pick in the draft. In Las Vegas, the 19-year-old showcased elite athleticism, was efficient (20-of-41 shooting), rebounded well (4.8 per game) for 6-5, and showed the ability to handle the ball on the fast break. Could he make a Thunder roster that wants to play faster? The Thunder minimized Diallo’s responsibility on offense in Las Vegas and he needs to continue to improve his perimeter shot, but purchasing his draft rights from Charlotte was a nice, low-risk play by Sam Presti.” Continue reading →

Thunder sign Daniel Hamilton to a two-way contract

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OKC BLUE

Bryan Terry – The Oklahoman

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced, on Thursday, they signed Daniel Hamilton to the franchise’s first 2-way contract. The Thunder selected the 6’6″ guard out of UConn with the 56th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. In his final season at UConn, Hamilton was named 2nd Team All-ACC.

Last season, Hamilton played on the Thunder’s G-League affiliate, the Blue, where he averaged 14.9 points, 8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 31.2 minutes per game. His rebounding average led all qualifying rookie guards last season in the G-League.

He’s also played for the Thunder in summer league the last two years. This past summer league, Hamilton led all players in assists per game for the Orlando Summer League at 6.8.

As a 2-way player, Hamilton has the ability to join the Thunder for 45 days. The rest of the time, he’ll be with the Blue. Hamilton’s contract will be between $75,000-$275,000, depending on how many days Hamilton spends with the Thunder. In addition, Hamilton’s deal will not count against the team’s salary cap or 15-man roster.

Hamilton has a good basketball pedigree. His older brother, Jordan, played 5 seasons in the league with Denver, Houston, New Orleans, and the Clippers. His younger brother, Isaac, currently plays for UCLA.

Thunder sign Yannis Morin

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After signing Dakari Johnson yesterday, the Oklahoma City Thunder have now signed 24 year old French big man Yannis Morin. The news was first reported by international website Sportando. 

Morin is an athletic 6’11” PF/C who can develop into a prototypical big man for the pace and space NBA. He moves well without the ball and can even float out to 3-point territory to space the floor. He’ll initially to be a rim runner, but he has good mechanics on his shot and may develop into a pick and pop option. He’s a little on the light side and may need some time in the weight room before he has an impact in the NBA. 

Morin played with Le Havre of the French Pro B League last season averaging 6.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. He played with the Thunder in this recent summer league, appearing in 4 games. Morin was scheduled to play with Chalons-Reims of the LNB Pro A league next season, but opted out of his deal to join the Thunder. 

According to Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com, the thinking is that this might be a 2-way contract to allow Morin to develop in the G-League with the OKC Blue. 

Here’s a highlight of Moran to get to know him a little. 

Thunder sign Dakari Johnson

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dakari johnson

According to Shams Charania of the Vertical, the Oklahoma City Thunder have signed center Dakari Johnson to a guaranteed two year deal. Johnson, who was drafted by the Thunder in the 2nd round of the 2015 NBA Draft, has been playing on their D-League affiliate for the past two seasons.

Johnson is a big, burly center in the Kendrick Perkins mold. He’s a legit 7-footer with a 7’2″ wingspan. He played two seasons at Kentucky, mainly at back-up center, averaging 15.2 minutes, 5.8 points, and 4.3 rebounds over 78 games. On a different team he may have had better numbers, but playing for Kentucky meant Johnson was usually lower on the depth chart. In Johnson’s two seasons in Kentucky, the players ahead of him were Julius Randle, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Willie Cauley-Stein. All three of those players were selected in the Top-10 of their respective drafts.  Continue reading →

Thunder sign Semaj Christon

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christon

On Saturday, the Oklahoma City Thunder signed guard Semaj Christon. The 2014 2nd rounder played last season with Consultinvest VL Pesaro of Lega Basket Serie A, the top professional league in Italy. While there, he averaged 14.3 points, 3.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 33.2 minutes of playing time. Previous to that, he spent his first two professional seasons with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, the Blue. In addition, he has also been a member of the Thunder’s summer league team the last three seasons.

The 6’3″ point guard out of Xavier has shown a penchant for getting into the lane and causing havoc once he gets there. His sturdy frame and long arms allow him to finish in traffic, while his floor game allows him to find teammates for higher percentage shots. His jumper, while not the best, has improved over the past 3 seasons to the point where he has a pretty solid mid-range game.

With the signing of Ronnie Price earlier this offseason, the Thunder’s roster currently sits at 15 guaranteed contracts, with 3 of those contracts belonging to point guards (Russell Westbrook, Cameron Payne, and Price). So why did the Thunder sign Christon, if their roster is already at max capacity with contracts and points guards? The reasoning for that could be two-fold. Number one, the Thunder don’t appear to be done wheeling and dealing. The roster, as it currently stands, is a weird mixture of bruising big men, offensively challenged wings, and athletic guards who aren’t great at shooting. They have a sizable expiring contract in Ersan Ilyasova, and a young big they may be ready to move on from in Mitch McGary. If the right deal comes along, they could also feature Payne, who could net something substantial from a point guard starved team.

The second reason for signing Christon is to play the long game with him. While his contract can’t be guaranteed because of the Thunder’s 15 other commitments, there could be guaranteed money attached to it if he gets waived before the season starts. Then the Thunder could sign Christon to the Blue and see how the season plays out in terms of roster moves. If the trade deadline leaves the Thunder with an open roster spot, you can almost guarantee that spot will go to Christon. Another issue that is clouding the water in terms of Christon’s future is whether Price’s 2nd year is fully guaranteed.

If anything, the Thunder have secured themselves another weapon to throw at guard happy teams, while maintaining roster flexibility. Christon’s strength and wing-span could make him an asset on the defensive end of the floor, similar to what the Thunder saw from Dion Waiters in the playoffs last season. And while Christon’s offensive repertoire may not necessarily be what the Thunder need, it’s not like he’s offensively challenged. In the end, his contract is not currently guaranteed, and the Thunder have time to see how everything plays out in these next two months before the season starts.