Top Performers from Oklahoma City's 95-61 Loss to the Pacers
The Oklahoma City Thunder were back into their late-season form against the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night.
Playing in a rare Summer League back-to-back, the Thunder were never really in the game. After a slow first quarter, the Pacers took over the game to dominate OKC 95-61 in Las Vegas.
Second year point guard Theo Maledon struggled mightily, but the absence first-round picks Josh Giddey and Tre Mann cleared the way for another pair of Oklahoma City players to try and turn the tide for the Thunder.
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Jaylen Hoard
Jaylen Hoard’s performance was one of the few bright spots for OKC.
Leading the Thunder with 16 points, Hoard got it done offensively for the Thunder both attacking the basket, which is his bread and butter, and stepping out behind the 3-point line. He finished shooting 7-of-9 from the field and knocked down both of his attempts from deep, while also adding five rebounds and an assist.
While Oklahoma City looked lifeless for vast stretches of Saturday night’s contest, Hoard kept his head down and continued to attack the basket, trying to create any kind of spark for his team.
Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
The former Villanova man continues to stuff the stat sheet during Summer League. The second-round pick posted a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Pacers, again battling through his lack of size to play center for OKC.
Robinson-Earl was especially active on the offensive glass, reading the game to perfection to pull down eight offensive boards.
While he only took three attempts from beyond the arc, Robinson-Earl continues to prove that he can shoot the 3-ball well enough to space the floor a bit, hitting one of his three attempts from deep.
As the team transitions from Summer League play to the NBA season this fall, it remains to be seen if Robinson-Earl will continue to be able to outsmart his opponents or if the athleticism in the NBA will be too much for him, but he’s checking the boxes to this point in Las Vegas.
The Thunder will close our their 2021 Summer League play against the San Antonio Spurs on Monday at 4 p.m.
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