Quick Start Boosts Oklahoma City Thunder Past Philadelphia 76ers in Summer League Battle

The Oklahoma City Thunder played in their third and final Salt Lake City Summer League game. They faced off against the Philadelphia 76ers, but Jalen Williams, Jaylin Williams and Chet Holmgren were inactive for the matchup.

Cason Wallace dressed out and warmed up, but his contract was not finalized before the game, so he was unable to play in this matchup. His debut will likely come on Saturday's matchup against the Dallas Mavericks.

Despite missing a few of their standard contract players, the Thunder did just fine to open up the game. Tre Mann and Zhaire Smith both led the squad with nine points apiece. Both Ousmane Dieng and Jared Butler also had early impacts.

The four helped boost the Thunder to hold a 36-17 lead. Both Mann and Dieng were impactful beyond scoring early on.

The team was able to build off their quick start to the game, winning the second quarter 26-21. Dieng led the way, scoring 15 points in the half, and Mann was the second-leading scorer with 12 points on the half.

Playing a nine-man rotation with a good minutes spread was vital in this, too, as the Thunder were playing with fresh legs. This allowed them to take their 62-38 halftime lead.

However, the most impressive player in the first half was Caleb McConnell, who is fighting for a two-way spot in Oklahoma City or a standard contract elsewhere. He had six points, three rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in seven minutes of first half action.

The third quarter wasn't anything spectacular for the Thunder, but they had built enough of a lead that it didn't matter. They only lost the quarter by three points, but they entered the final frame with an 83-62 lead. Dieng, Mann and Smith combined for 54 points through the three frames.

The Thunder didn't have an easy time offensively in the fourth quarter, oftentimes playing stale or sloppy basketball. The 76ers cut the Thunder's lead to five points in clutch time, but Mann ultimately hit a 3-pointer to push their lead back to eight points.

Ultimately, the Thunder avoided any comeback from the 76ers, though it got close towards the end of the matchup, winning 100-91 The Thunder lost their energy and effort, and it was hard to bring back a similar intensity.

Mann finished the game with 23 points on 7-of-15 shooting, Dieng scored 22 points on 10-of-12 shooting and Zhaire Smith added 16 points on 6-of-6 shooting.

The Thunder return to action on Saturday against the Dallas Mavericks, and, as mentioned, Wallace will make his debut with the potential of Keyontae Johnson making his debut.

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