LAS VEGAS — Chris Youngblood raced to the corner with his hands in a catching position.
He watched as Nikola Topić pushed the ball up the floor, preparing himself for a pass from the assist-serving Serbian. And when it came, he quickly released a 3-pointer that found the bottom of the net.
That wasn’t the only opportunity Youngblood was ready for on Thursday. In what marked his first Summer League start, the undrafted guard delivered his best performance yet to help OKC earn a 90-81 win over Brooklyn.
Youngblood finished with 19 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field (3 for 5 from deep). He also added five rebounds and two steals.
“I think (Youngblood) can really shoot,” said Connor Johnson, the Thunder’s head coach for the Las Vegas Summer League. “It kind of helps everybody out to create more space. He had a bit of a challenge, too, guarding bigger players on the other end. I thought he did a good job with that.”
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Youngblood showed a strong scoring ability in college. He averaged a career-high 15.3 points at South Florida in 2023-24 on 45.8% shooting from the field and 41.6% shooting from deep, and he continued to get buckets last season at Alabama.
Youngblood is on an Exhibit 10 deal with OKC. It’s a one-year, minimum salary agreement that isn’t guaranteed, although it can be converted into a two-way contract.
OKC has one more two-way spot up for grabs. The other two have gone to Branden Carlson and rookie forward Brooks Barnhizer.
But even if Youngblood isn’t able to stick around with the Thunder, he showed Thursday that he’s ready to make the most of whatever shot he gets.
“I’m just focused on doing the winning plays,” Youngblood told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin after the win as his teammates surrounded him. “(It’s) just the start.”
Next up for OKC is a game against the Indiana Pacers at 4:30 p.m. CT Saturday.
Here are four more takeaways from the win:
Ajay Mitchell is never down for the count
Ajay Mitchell hit the hardwood with a thud that echoed throughout Thomas & Mack Center.
In the world of boxing, that would’ve been knockdown No. 20 or so for the sophomore during OKC’s Summer League run. This one occurred after he pursued a loose ball and collided with a Brooklyn player.
But before anyone could begin a 10-count, Mitchell peeled himself off the canvas. And after walking gingerly for a brief moment, he opted to stay in the game.
Mitchell then returned to landing some jabs of his own. He finished with 20 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Mitchell’s toughness is one of the many impressive attributes he has displayed this summer. The 23-year-old guard has also scored efficiently, made sound decisions with the ball and thrived as a playmaker.
“I think it’s just (about) coming out here and competing,” Mitchell said. “I’m not trying to do too much. I don’t want to do too little either. Just be myself and be out there competing with my teammates.”
Nikola Topić quarterbacks Thunder offense
Topic called out orders like a quarterback before a snap as he waited for the official to hand him the rock.
The 19-year-old guard was set to inbound the ball on Brooklyn’s baseline late in the second quarter. And after noticing a few distracted defenders, he urged Mitchell to go long.
Topic then launched a full-court pass, which Mitchell hauled in and took to the house for a two-handed dunk.
That was one of the many examples of Topic’s brilliance with the ball Thursday. He recorded six assists and kept his turnover count to three after committing eight of them in OKC’s Salt Lake City Summer League finale against Utah on Tuesday.
And when the game was on the 1-yard line, Topic punched it in. He scored 10 of his 18 points during the fourth quarter to help OKC fend off a late Brooklyn comeback attempt.
“I just see what the defense gives me,” Topic said. “If I’m open, obviously I’m gonna shoot it. If not, I’m going to pass it to someone who’s in a better position than me. That’s how I play most of my games.”
Brooks Barnhizer stuffs stat sheet for Thunder
Barnhizer couldn’t get his shots to fall.
The rookie forward finished with six points on 2-for-11 shooting from the field. He also missed all five of his attempts from deep.
But even a cold shooting performance couldn’t extinguish the fiery competitor. Barnhizer impacted the game in other ways by recording seven rebounds, six steals and three assists.
That ability to stuff the stat sheet is what makes Barnhizer an intriguing prospect. And if he can improve his shooting, he could certainly stick around in the league as a glue guy.
“It’s been great,” Mitchell said of playing alongside Barnhizer. “Every team needs guys like that, and he’s been doing an amazing job of just coming in and doing his work. He’s a great player.”
Thunder outlasted Nets, Drew Timme
OKC held on to secure its first Las Vegas Sumer League win despite a strong performance by Drew Timme.
The Brooklyn big man scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to give his team a fighting chance. He finished with 22 points, nine rebounds, one steal and one block.
Egor Demin, the eighth overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, finished with eight points and four rebounds.
Up next for Thunder
OKC will continue its Las Vegas Summer League run with a game against Indiana at 4:30 p.m. CT Saturday (NBA TV). It’ll be the second of a minimum of five games for the Thunder.
Justin Martinez covers sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.