OKC Thunder's Three-Point Shooting Slump Adds To Rough Night

The Thunder couldn't seem to make a shot from deep on Thursday.

Oct 15, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) dribbles the ball during the third quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thunder couldn’t seem to shoot themselves out of the hole they created. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder took the floor on Thursday night for the squad’s last preseason game. The battle took place in Houston, where OKC would get a look at the Rockets before the regular season officially starts. However, the bout did not go the way OKC intended it to. 

Houston would take control of the game from the very start, as they surged out to a 33-15 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Thunder would then try to mount a comeback in the second quarter, but Houston would prove to be too much in the second half, as they beat Oklahoma City 116-89.

There were a few bright spots for OKC, as Jalen Williams would have 18 points on 50%, while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would supplement him as best as possible, putting up 17 points. Unfortunately, this would be where the positives end for the Thunder. 

The team lost the turnover battle horribly, as they had 17 compared to Houston’s eight. OKC once again lost the offensive rebounding battle, allowing Houston to grab 14 second-chance boards. These two issues were disastrous for OKC, and that was just the beginning of their problems. 

In today’s league, every team has to rely heavily on the three-point shot, and on Thursday, the Thunder could not rely on theirs. Out of the 36 attempts from beyond the arc, OKC only hit five, resulting in a rough shooting percentage of 14% from three. This dry spell affected everyone, as sharpshooter Jared McCain missed all eight of his attempts. Even Bennett Stirtz, who has been on fire this preseason, only hit one out of five attempts. 

OKC didn’t shoot the ball horribly from deep last year, with their three-point percentage at 36.5%. However, there have been concerns this year about whether OKC could continue to have a consistent shooter from deep without Isaiah Joe or Lu Dort.

While this was a bad showing for the Thunder, there doesn’t need to be any alarms set off quite yet. OKC has multiple young players who will be able to continue to grow into their three-point shooting as the season continues, and some, like McCain and Stirtz, have the talent to handle the majority of the load. 

So while the Thunder’s night from beyond the arc is one they want to forget quickly, there is no need to panic as the season starts next week.