The OKC Thunder continued preseason play with a 116-112 road win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
Here are three takeaways from the game:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits in second half after dominant showing
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already looks ready for Opening Night.
The MVP played just 19 minutes but made every second count, pouring in 23 points and six assists on an efficient 8-of-10 shooting before sitting the entire second half.
He opened the night with a deep four-point play and followed it with a scoring barrage. SGA finished the first quarter with 14 points to lead all scorers.
Even without fellow stars Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, SGA anchored a swarming Thunder defense. Lu Dort and Cason Wallace wreaked havoc on the perimeter, combining for seven steals. Wallace was plus-8 in 27 minutes, while Dort finished plus-10 in just 18.
“We were really sharp in terms of getting to spots and moving to windows,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “It’s been a huge emphasis for us in (training) camp. I thought that showed up and guys made good decisions when we got into those situations.”
With one preseason game remaining Friday against the Denver Nuggets, Tuesday’s outing likely marks Gilgeous-Alexander’s final tuneup — and he already looks in midseason form.
“Generally, I thought it was another step forward for us,” Daigneault said. “We got some good stuff on film that we can learn from and keep moving forward here.”
Branden Carlson shines down the stretch
OKC’s third unit delivered a strong showing, led by Branden Carlson’s best preseason performance to date.
Carlson finished with 17 points and nine rebounds, knocking down 3 of 5 from beyond the arc and hitting timely shots in the third quarter to keep the Thunder within reach.
The 7-footer showed confidence and rhythm, something he credited to his teammates.
“It just felt good to get back out there with the guys,” Carlson said following the game. “(My teammates) have shown trust in me 100%. They give me the ball when I’m open, and trust me to shoot and that it’ll go down. And I think that just shows a lot of the characters that we have on this team.”
Carlson recently signed another two-way deal after averaging 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds in limited minutes last season.
Performances like Tuesday’s make a strong case for an increased role with first-round pick Thomas Sorber out for the year due to a torn right ACL.
“It’s good to go out there and execute what we’ve been working on,” Carlson said. “I feel like I understand the game a bit more. I feel like the team as a whole is more dialed in and that we’ll come in ready to have another successful year.”
Brooks Barnhizer produces another double-double
Rookie forward Brooks Barnhizer continued his strong preseason with yet another blue-collar performance.
The Northwestern product posted 10 points and 12 rebounds along with two assists and two steals, while once again doing the dirty work — diving on the floor, cutting on a dime and chasing loose balls.
It’s Barnhizer’s second straight double-double and further proof that hustle travels.
He adds to an already strong preseason where he’s averaging 11.4 points and 7.2 rebounds through five games.
Barnhizer may not see consistent minutes early in the regular season, but his effort and instincts keep pushing him further into the conversation.
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.