It’s been a very good 24 hours for the Sandfort brothers — and they got to celebrate it together.
Oklahoma City Thunder two-way player Payton Sandfort hit a big milestone on Wednesday. In a crushing away win over the Brooklyn Nets, Sandfort stepped into his first NBA game, and scored his first NBA points, a 3-pointer in the final minute.
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Around 12 hours later, he was back in Oklahoma City to support his brother, Pryce, as he and Nebraska opened their NCAA tournament run against Troy.
“It worked out. I’m happy I could be here,” Sandfort told Hurrdat Sports. “It’s pretty special, especially playing in our home arena.”
Sandfort said that after Wednesday’s game, he and the team had dinner that went until around 1 a.m., before he took a taxi at 3 to catch a 6 a.m. flight back to Oklahoma City.
“Last night was pretty special,” Sandfort told Hurrdat Sports, “and now being able to be here, hopefully it’s a special 24 hours.”
And special it was, with Pryce Sandfort leading Nebraska to a dominant 76-47 win over Troy to give the school its first NCAA tournament win. The younger Sandfort put up a strong showing, racking up 23 points behind five first-half 3-pointers.
Payton Sandfort and the Thunder are in the middle of a five-game road trip, and are set to play the Washington Wizards on Saturday. But he said that it was worth it to show up for his brother.
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“Knowing that it’s his first tournament game, I wanted to be here and support him. I don’t even think he knows I’m here, but he will after,” Sandfort said.
This is Pryce Sandfort’s first NCAA tournament as a starter since transferring to Nebraska last season. The Sandfort brothers overlapped for one year at Iowa in 2023, the Hawkeyes’ most recent trip to the tournament before this year. (They play Clemson on Friday.)
Unfortunately, with the Thunder’s road trip continuing, Payton Sandfort won’t be able to make it to Nebraska’s next game, against the winner of Vanderbilt vs. McNeese.