Hopson returns to NBA to lead Thunder performers in loss to Suns

Oklahoma City was in the same position as most teams in the NBA this week for its game against Phoenix on Wednesday night, riddled by COVID-19 and scraping together a roster capable of competing at an NBA level.

The Thunder made it work for three of the four quarters of the game by hanging their hats on young talent stepping into the spotlight before ultimately losing 115-97 to the Suns.

Here are the top performers from the game.

Ty Jerome

The OKC Thunder needed a spark from someone with Josh Giddey, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a handful of others missing the game. The spark came from in the form of Jerome, who has played a big role at times this season for OKC.

Jerome played 35 minutes, made nine of his 22 attempts and scored 24 points, a Thunder-high. Jerome also added a rebounding boost in the absence of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, grabbing eight boards while also tallying five assists. If COVID-19 issues continue, Jerome could be an important piece down the stretch.

In what was perhaps his best career game, it came against his former team.

Aaron Wiggins

Wiggins has found his way into the starting lineup as the season progresses, carving out a bigger role in Oklahoma City. Wiggins' role, much like Jerome’s, was amplified due to absent players and he made the most of the opportunity.

Wiggins played in a team high 39 minutes and made 10 of his 19 field goal attempts, notching 22 points. Wiggins also tied Jerome for a team-high in rebounds with eight. Wiggins' role has already increased, but opportunities like Wednesday could propel his role forward.

Scotty Hopson

Hopson, like Wiggins and Jerome, was able to receive an opportunity to find minutes against the Suns due to missing team members, but Hopson had a different path. Unlike Wiggins and Jerome, Hopson hasn’t been on an NBA roster since 2018 with the Dallas Mavericks where he played one game.

Hopson, 32, had played just eight minutes in the NBA prior to Wednesday, but that number more than doubled against the Suns when Hopson played 18 minutes. Hopson didn’t blow up the stat sheet, but he did score four points, double his NBA total entering the game. He notched his first career field goal attempt, coming into the night with just free throw makes on his NBA resume.

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