Feb. 21, 2026, 10:01 a.m. CT
Moving over to the right-wing spot, Nikola Topic received Isaiah Joe’s last-hope pass. He calmly swished in the catch-and-shoot look despite Terance Mann’s textbook contest. In just his second NBA game, the 20-year-old helped close this one out. Not bad for someone fresh off beating cancer.
The Oklahoma City Thunder picked up a badly-needed 105-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets. Considering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams are out for at least another week, right now is just about being unapologetic wins.
Topic finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, three rebounds and two assists. He shot 1-of-2 from 3. He also had one steal and one block.
Running the second unit, Topic helped the Thunder stay afloat — or at the very least, get in their sets. A secondary ball-handler has been an archetype that OKC has lacked since Josh Giddey’s departure. In comes the 20-year-old who has finally suited up after two obstacle-filled years with a torn ACL and testicular cancer.
Until Gilgeous-Alexander returns, Topic’s early impressions against NBA competition will be a top storyline. And so far, the early results are exciting. He had no problem feeling confident. He carried himself like a former lottery pick who should be at this grandeur stage.
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Topic showed off his scoring flashes. He finished through Brooklyn defenders a couple of times on his drives to the basket. He didn’t hesitate for a second when he found himself semi-open from the perimeter. He scored five points in the final frame to help Jared McCain put this one away as OKC’s co-closers.
For him to be on an NBA court just four months after being diagnosed with testicular cancer is an unreal story in itself. But for him to help the Thunder get a win in just his second game raised some eyebrows in a good way. We’ll see how things play out, but you’re already seeing his superb talent and what he brings to the table for the reigning NBA champions.
Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault liked what he saw from Topic in his second game. Remains to be seen what his role for the rest of the season looks like, but he’s shown off his potential as an on-ball scorer and creator for his teammates.
“He played really well. That was his second NBA game. To really evaluate him in the context is really unfair. But he’s obviously a really good player. He’s got a really good sense for the game. He goes in there and acts like he belongs,” Daigneault said about Topic. “He shoots the threes. He’s not afraid to drive. There’s a play where the one he dropped to Hartenstein for the broken floater was a play was a broken play. We were supposed to run a play and there was pressure and he just drove it.”
To show you how excited he was about Topic, Daigneault said that his game has an old-school feel to it. In a sport that’s mostly positionless, the 20-year-old showed you why most throwback point guards were described almost like game-managing QBs.
“Basketball doesn’t have a lot of actual pure point guards anymore. There’s unbelievable skill, but the traditional team runners, there’s not a ton of those guys. That’s what he is,” Daigneault said. “He can run your team. He’s going to get you organized up the floor. He understands what we’re trying to accomplish, even at this extremely early infant stage in his career. He’s got the passion to go with it.”
Speaking for the first time to the media since his testicular cancer diagnosis, Topic talked about what the last four months have been like for him. From getting the scary news to going through several rounds of chemotherapy to finally making his NBA debut nearly two years after being drafted. Quite the journey for him to reach the mundane point of a postgame press conference.
“It was pretty weird at first. I’m getting back into the feel of the game again. I was out for a while. It was helping me to come back. I was catching myself doing stuff I was never doing before. It was pretty tough to adjust to that, but every game was better,” Topic said. “First game in the G League. The second game was better. First game here was OK, but second one was better. I think it’ll only get better.”
Before the NBA All-Star break commenced, Topic had the chance to make his NBA debut. He missed all of last season recovering from a torn ACL. He missed the first four months of this season battling cancer. To finally check in for the first time and receive a loud ovation was a dream he likely strived for that helped him overcome his unreal journey to get to this point.
“That was an awesome moment. I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. Thanks to the fans,” Topic said. “For sure, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. It was awesome.”
Such a cool moment for Topic. Sports are inherently divisive. You get into a tribal mentality with your favorite team. It’s you against the world. Animosity builds over the years. But the universal support he’s received in his well-documented voyage is evidence to the contrary. It shows how unifying sports culture can be. The entire NBA world continues to root for his comeback.
“I gotta thank the Thunder organization as a whole. From the players to the coaching staff to the medical staff to the front office. I mean, they’re so supportive of everything and the whole process. Of course, the fans too,” Topic said. “So thank you for life. Basically, I’ll remember that for the rest of my life. I’ll try to kind of say thank you on the court.”