Mann Leaves His Mark in Preseason Home Opener
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The Oklahoma City Thunder improved to 2-1 in preseason play on Thursday night, dismantling Josh Giddey's former team, the Adelaide 36ers of the National Basketball League, 131-98.
OKC rebounded after Wednesday night’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks behind a hot shooting performance from downtown. The Thunder connected on 20 3-point attempts, six coming in the first quarter. In the team’s 2-point loss to Dallas, they sank only six shots from beyond the arc all game.
Oklahoma City jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, holding a 35-16 advantage after the first quarter. OKC led by a jaw dropping 40 points at halftime, eclipsing 100 points before the end of the third quarter.
All 11 players who touched the court for the Thunder notched at least one made field goal, six of them scoring in double figures. With such a fruitful outing for Oklahoma City, there were multiple impressive individual performances.
Tre Mann
For the second time in three games, second-year guard Tre Mann led the team in scoring, pitching in 26 points, two rebounds and two assists while only missing two shots. Mann made his presence felt from the perimeter early and often, knocking down two long balls to start the game and another to kick off the second half. The 6-foot-5 guard went 9-for-11 from the field and 8-for-10 from three-point range.
Mann showed a great connection with fellow 2021 first-round pick Josh Giddey on Thursday night. In the second quarter, Giddey connected with Mann on a beautiful inbound pass as the Gainesville, Florida, native cut to the basket immediately after checking back into the contest. Shortly after, Giddey zipped a perfect pass to the former Gator, who finished the play by nailing a catch-and-shoot corner three.
While Mann put on a show with his shooting ability, he also displayed his other crafty offensive skills. Whether he was baiting defenders with a killer pump fake or dropping deceiving no-look passes to his teammates between two opponents, the No. 18 pick in the 2021 draft showed that he is prepared to take the next step after a solid rookie season.
Lindy Waters III
Norman native Lindy Waters III also had a strong night shooting the three-ball, making six shots from behind the line. Waters scored 23 points in addition to three rebounds and two assists.
The Oklahoma State alum started to heat up in the second quarter after grabbing a steal and pushing the ball to the other end of the floor for a bucket. Moments later, Waters cut to the basket for a quick layup before drawing a foul and hitting both free throws just a few possessions later.
Defensively, Waters' active hands and pestering defensive play helped the 6-foot-6 wing collect three steals, two of which he converted into transition three-pointers.
Eugene Omoruyi
Nigerian guard Eugene Omoruyi was Oklahoma City’s third-highest scorer, contributing 19 points, four rebounds and two assists. The 6-foot-6 Oregon product went 8-of-13 from the field and 1-of-4 from downtown.
The majority of Omoruyi’s points came on slippery jaunts to the basket from the wing or the corner. Aleksej Pokusevski, Jaylin Williams and Giddey all found the 25-year-old on his way to the rim for an easy score.
Omoruyi finished multiple tough, contested layups around the hole, using his 235-pound frame to fend off opponents. In the second quarter, however, the Thunder guard showed off his finesse and footwork on a nice turnaround fadeaway basket over a taller defender.
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